The Gray Adventure Part 1
by Kingdom Lightz
Summary: The third adventure: Hilbert and his friends begin their adventure. He meets Lucas, who becomes his mentor, and travel Unova together under the constant watch of Team Plasma. What is their motive, and what is the link between them and Cheryl? BlackxElesaxSkyla, LucasxCheryl, HildaxNatural
1. Chapter 1

**_The Gray Adventure_**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Kenshin: And so we begin with the end.

Yusei: This is the story about Touya/Hilbert/Black going through Unova to defeat the gyms and Team Plasma... Now that I think about it, what's with that name? Hilbert doesn't really match Touya at all.

Manabu: We're calling him Hilbert. That's that.

Yusei: **scuffs** Anyway, Black goes through Unova battling the gym leaders and Team Plasma. Cheryl returns too, but not to see Lucas who is helping Hilbert to become a strong trainer... Why?

Lucas: Because I need something to do!

Yusei: The pairings will appear later, but other than for the characters introduced in this story; LucasxCheryl, CynthiaxRiley, and the other two.

_**Journal Entry 1: Enter Oshawott Eiji**_

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Hi there. Welcome to the world of Pokemon! My name is Professor Juniper. Everyone calls me the Pokemon Professor, like the others. This world is widely inhabited by mysterious creatures called Pocket Monsters, or Pokemon for short. Pokemon have mysterious powers, come in many shapes and live in many different places; even in space! We humans live happily with Pokemon! Well most of us anyway. Living and working together, we complement each other. We help each other out to accomplish difficult tasks. Having pokemon battle one another is particularly popular, and it deepens the bonds between human and pokemon. And that is why I research pokemon.

The current trainers picking up pokemon at my lab are a quartet of friends. Hilbert Hakumei, or Black as he likes to call him, is a 16 year old who wants to become the strongest pokemon champion. He's a little dense so he won't notice a woman's advances on him. Hilda Hakumei, or White as she likes to call her, is a 16 year old who wants to travel the world to battle against her idol Cynthia. She, unlike her twin brother Black, is rather calculative and notices little details. Cheren is a little difficult, but he's a very honest person. Bianca is a little flighty, but she works very hard. These four have great potential, so I will give them important pokemon. I really hoped that they would find what is important to them in all of their travels...

"...But this is not what I expected!" Juniper says as she watches the four friends fight their way to the table. She sighs and takes all three balls, causing the teenagers to stop in their tracks. "You know, I think I have a better idea. Wait for a month."

"Eh?" - All of them

Two Months Later...

In autumn of Unova, inside of Nuvema Town, Juniper is walking over to a home closer to the exit of Route 1. She knocks on the door, and out comes Black and White's mom. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, take this. It's a gift for Hilbert, Hilda and his friends," she says, handing her a black box. After the mother takes it Juniper takes off, leaving the house as fast as she could.

Meanwhile...

In the middle of Route 2, a teenager around the age of 16 is walking down the path. He is Lucas, almost 3 years older. He has a scar on his left cheek, an extra 5 pounds, and ice candy in his mouth. He continues down the road to the fast growing town Accumula Town. He sighs, saying, "Only a few more weeks left. What to do til then?"

Back in Nuvema...

"About time we got this package!" Cheren says as he looks at the box before him. He is upstairs in Touya's room looking over the box Juniper sent over. "Where's Bianca?"

"I'm here!" A voice calls out from outside the room. In steps Bianca, who trips and falls flat on her face.

Cheren and Touya sigh at her action, while Touko helps her up. She says, "For ten years you're always late... C'mon, today's the day we get our Pokemon!"

"I hope she fixed that only three problem." Black picks up the top and opens it, revealing the three balls inside. Inside he finds a note.

White takes it and reads, "I've brought three pokemon, one for you, your sibling, and each of your friends. Please settle your choices politely, and outside of my lab. The one who doesn't get a Pokemon can come back in a week to receive a new one."

With her reading the letter Black, Bianca and Cheren each grab one ball out of the box. White turns around to see what happened, and gasps when she realizes they nabbed a Pokemon and left her with none. "EH?"

"Now to see what we got!" They each send out their Pokemon; Bianca has Tepig, Cheren has Snivy and Black has Oshawott.

"Wow! I got such a cute Pokemon!" Bianca says as she hugs her fire type.

"I wanted Snivy to begin with," Cheren says while holding his grass type.

"Are you strong?" Black asks his water type. It gains an anger mark and hits Black with the scalchop, the yellow seashell, on its chest.

"Let's have a battle!" Bianca says while turning to her friends.

"What? Even if they aren't that strong yet you shouldn't have Pokemon battle inside a house," Cheren says to her.

"Neh, come on! Black, how about it?" - Bianca

"Okay, sure!" Black says, moving to the other side of the room. White and Cheren move out of the way, allowing them to have a proper battle.

"Let's go, Tepig! Use Tackle!" Tepig charges at Oshawott.

"Counter with Tackle!" Oshawott tackles Tepig, the two attacks knocking them back. "Water Gun!"

"Ember!" Tepig snorts a spiraling stream of small embers at Oshawott, who washes them all away with its water attack. Tepig is blown into the wall, knocking his stuff down. "Tepig!"

Bianca picks her Pokemon up and holds the fainted pig up to her chest. Black places a hand on his Pokemon, patting lightly. "Great job! You're a lot stronger than I thought you'd be."

"Now for me." Cheren steps forward with his Snivy.

"Eh? I thought you weren't battling!" - White

"True, but I might as well seeing as your room is already a mess." After he says this, he points to his ruined wall and dresser.

Black sighs, knowing he'll regret this decision. "Let's go."

"Snivy, use Vine Whip," Cheren says. His Pokemon releases vines from its collar and slams them at Oshawott.

"Oshawott, dodge!" Instead of doing what he said, Oshawott takes out his seashell and beats the vines aside, moving closer towards the grass type. Black could only look at him with shock and awe. "Wow."

"You can't get your Pokemon to listen to you, huh?" - Cheren

"Shut up! The end result is the same!" Black shouts. "Oshawott, Water Gun at Snivy's head!"

Oshawott fires a water gun, but instead at the snake's stomach. The water type then tackles the scalchop and tosses it at Snivy. "Knock it away with Leaf Tornado!"

Snivy spins its tail and summons a flurry of leaves. Black's room is ruined even more. "Aim a Water Gun directly at Snivy!"

Oshawott squirts, but Snivy strikes with the tornado. Both Pokemon are hit, but only Oshawott faints. Cheren smirks and walks to his Pokemon. "Good job there, Snivy."

"Oshawott!" Black helps his Pokemon up into his arms. "You did the best you could."

"That was a great battle!" - Bianca

"Yeah, even when Oshawott did his own battling," White adds. She then looks around and says, "Looks like you have to clean up here."

"Nah, mom will get it." - Hilbert

Later...

"...And don't make me have to tell you again, got it?" The mother of the Hakumei twins speaks to her son. He has bruises on his face from getting beaten up by a brush.

"Y-Yes mom..." - Hilbert

"Pokemon...Their battles can be so lively, reminds me of my first battle. Anyway, don't you have to go on the Professor Juniper's?" - Mom

"Oh yeah!" Hilda shouts. Bianca and Cheren say their thanks to the mother of the house and leave. The twins leave out after them.

"Wait, hold up!" Their mom calls out. The twins stop to find that their mom is holding two watch like items. She catches up to them and hands them the devices. "You forgot your Xtransceivers. You're going on an adventure, right?"

"Oh, of course!" Hilbert says, strapping on his blue one. Hilda puts on her pink one and they head on to Juniper's lab, thanking their mom once again.

They reach the lab where they find Cheren standing by the doorway alone. Hilda asks, "Where's Bianca?"

"She went home. I'll bet that girl's spacing out as usual," Cheren says, pushing his glasses back up.

"Cheren, don't say that about her. She always tries her best, right Black?" White says, turning to her brother at the end of her sentence. But he's already heading towards her home.

Black enters Bianca's home, only to find her being yelled at by her father. "No! No! A thousand times no!"

"Yes! I'm going to be a Pokemon Trainer! You have no right to control me!" she yells back, pulling her hat down a little and walking off. She grabs Black's arm and drags him along with her back to Juniper's lab.

"Bianca, is everything okay?" Black asks her.

"Yeah. It's ok," she replies, before they reach the lab. Finally reuniting with White and Cheren the quartet enter the lab. Juniper spots them, and sweat comes down her head.

"It's good that you're all here, and not trying to break something." - Juniper

"Eh?" - All of them

"Nothing. Anyway, before you all begin on your Pokemon journey I have something to hand out." Juniper approaches the teens and hands them each a Pokedex. This one is of a higher model than the other ones. "As you know, I study how and when Pokemon came into existence. It'll be thanks to you all registering all the Pokemon around Unova that will help my research. Anyway, how are the Pokemon I have given you all?"

"My partner is great! Although, White didn't get one," Black says, pointing to his sister.

"Oh, now you care..." - White

"Well, like I said in the note I can give White a new one later on. But first, would you like to give your Pokemon nicknames?" - Juniper

"I've already picked Snively for mine," Cheren says. Black boos him.

"I'm using the name Angus!" Bianca states.

"It's a Pokemon, not a snack!" - Cheren

"Eiji is perfect for Oshawott!" Black says with a smile. White sighs."What?"

"Don't let your obsession of tokusatsu influence your Pokemon naming." - White

"Shut up!" - Black

"Anyway, now that you each have a Pokemon and Pokedex, come with me to Route 1. I will show you how to catch Pokemon," she says, walking passed them to exit her lab.

Cheren tsks, saying, "What idiot doesn't know how to catch Pokemon?"

"Let's go! This will be interesting!" Black says, running out the door to follow the older woman.

Later That Afternoon...

"Yes! I captured a Lillipup!" Black shouts, holding up a Pokeball.

"Sheesh, calm down. Bianca caught one too," White says to him. He turns around and pokes her in the thigh, causing her to back away. "Quit acting immature!"

"I can act however I want!" After the Professor led the four friends to Route 1 she showed them how to capture a Pokemon before leaving for Accumula Town. They then took their time catching their own Pokemon. Bianca caught a Lillipup andCheren caught a Purrloin.

Suddenly the Xtransceivers start beeping. All four of them look into their watches, and it shows the professor. "Hey, you guys doing well?"

"Goin' good so far!" Bianca states.

"Right now, I'm in front of Accumula Town's Pokemon Center. I would like to show you around so hurry on up," she says before beeping out.

"The Pokemon Center, right?" Cheren asks no one in particular. He then faces up ahead and says, "Then, I'm going on ahead."

"Me too," Bianca says, joining Cheren to town.

"I'm going back home. I still can't go on a journey," White says, heading south for home.

"Hey don't leave me here!" Black shouts, running after his two friends.

The trio come together within Accumula town, the skies turning orange with twilight. Cheren leads the group to the Pokemon Center, where Juniper stands. "About time you got here. Now, I will show you all the most important place a trainer should know."

She leads them inside of the center. Inside is a much more advanced version of the centers compared to Sinnoh's, and near the front is a Pokemart. "Up ahead you can heal your Pokemon, exchange them through the pcs, or speak to other people on the call phones. In the back are rooms for trainers who need a place to stay for the night. A room has to be booked before night time so it can be used.

"And to your right is the Pokemart. You can buy supplies for your adventure to take care of your Pokemon, and yourself." At the end of her explanation she points over to the counter where a different looking Nurse Joy can be seen. "You can begin by having your Pokemon be healed."

"Alright then!" Black heads forward first to heal his Pokemon.

"Hi, welcome to the Pokemon center. We restore your pokemon to full health. Would you like to rest your Pokemon?" Joy asks, having a lovely smile on her face.

"Uh, sure." Black hands over his two Pokemon in their balls to Joy. She places them on a tray, while an Audino comes up and takes them, placing the tray on a machine behind her. The machine lights up and releases a pink ray that scans the balls. This goes on for four minutes, before it makes a jingle. Nurse Joy takes the tray and places it on the counter before Black.

"Thank you for waiting. We've restored your pokemon to full health," she says, as Black takes his Pokemon back and attaches them to his belt. She then bows to him and says, "We hope to see you again."

"Wow, that was kind of fast," Cheren says in amazement.

"Man, thanks for the-Wait, what?" Black suddenly says, realizing something. "'We hope to see you again?' You mean you want us to get our Pokemon hurt so we have to come back?"

Joy looks back at Juniper with a confused look on her face. The professor sighs and chuckles a bit. "You know, you're the first person to bring that up."

"We really should change that." Joy adds.

"I want to heal mine next." Bianca steps forward past Black, as did Cheren.

"Well, I guess the first thing I should do is explore the city." Black heads out with his hands over his head, adjusting his hat.

"You do that." - Juniper

Black exits the center, just in time to hear, "Sounds like something's going on in teh plaza!"

"Well, let's have a looksee!" Another person says. The two head into the plaza, where Black could spot a group of weirdos wearing white blue outfits.

Black walks over to them within the crowd, not noticing a familiar diamond protagonist watching with interest or a green haired guy close to their age. Out from the weirdos approaches another one, who has light green hair, royal garbs and a red thing over his right eye.

"My name is Ghetsis," he says to everyone. From the looks of things he's about to make a long speech. "I am here as a representative of Team Plasma. Today, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to talk to you about liberating Pokemon."

At that everyone begins whispering among themselves. Ghetsis walks a little to the north before turning to the crowd and saying, "I'm sure most of you believe we humans and pokemon are partners who have come together to live because we need and want another. But is that really true? Do we really need and want eachother, or is that just something we humans assume? Pokemon are subjected to the selfish commands of trainers... They are pushed around for the trainer's amusement... Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying?

"As you all know, humans are different from pokemon. They are living beings that contain unknown potential, beings we are still trying to learn about. Tell me, what is our responsibility toward these wonderful beings?"

"Liberation?" A member of the audience asks.

"THAT'S RIGHT!" he shouts, making a creepy troll face. "We must liberate the Pokemon! Only then can humans be equal with them! Everyone, I end my words here today by imploring you to consider the relationship you have with your pokemon, and the correct way of attention. We appreciate your attention."

With that, two members grab the markers on the other ends and fold them up. They then form a circle around Ghetsis before they all leave northwest. The puzzled crowd continues to talk about what he said even as they leave. Still in that spot are Black, those two mentioned, and Cheren. Black sends out Eiji. "Eiji, do you think I'm pushing my ideals on you?"

"Your Pokemon," the green haired guy says, approaching Black and Cheren. "Just now, it was saying..."

As he was whispering Cheren turns to him and says, "Slow down. You talk too fast. And what's this about Pokemon talking? It's a weird thing to say."

"Yes, they can talk..." The looks he is getting from the two friends prompts him to frown. "Oh, you two can't hear them either... How sad. Anyway, my name is N."

"I'm Cheren, and this is Black," Cheren says, introducing himself and his friend. "We're asked to complete the Pokedex, and we just left on our journey. Of course, my dream is to become the Champion though."

"The Pokedex, huh? Then that means you will confine many more Pokemon in balls then. As a trainer, I can't help but wonder... Are Pokemon really happy that way?" - N

"Huh?" Black lifts his right eyebrow in curiosity.

"Well, Black is it? Let me hear your Pokemon's voice again!" N sends out a Pokeball, bringing out Purrloin.

"A battle? Alright, then," Black says, positioning himself behind Eiji. "Eiji, Water Gun!"

Eiji fires a shot of water at Purrloin, but it slips to the side and avoids it. "Scratch."

Purrloin leaps onto Eiji's head and begins scratching wildly. Eiji runs around in pain. "Shake it off with all your might! Use the seashell!"

Eiji grabs hold of his shell and hits Purrloin with it, knocking the cat off his head. "Alright! Now use Water Gun!"

Eiji takes action; instead of using water gun a stream of water gathers out from one end of the shell. He then slashes Purrloin with it, like it was a katana. Purrloin faints. N bends down to lift his friend into his arms. "I never expected to hear Pokemon say such things..."

"Huh? What are you talking about now?" - Cheren

"As long as Pokemon are confined in Pokeballs, they can never become perfect beings. I will change the world for them, because they are my friend," he says before carrying his friend away.

"Weird," Cheren says the moment he leaves. "But I'm not going to worry about it. Pokemon and people help each other."

"So, where will you be going?" Black asks.

"I'm going to Striaton City and battle the gym leader there. I'll see you when." Cheren leaves with those words, heading for the northeast of the town.

Black shrugs and looks down at his Pokemon. "Well, you didn't listen to me, but you still managed to win. You're really strong."

"Yeah, that was a totally one-sided match," says the only other person still around. He approaches Black and says, "It seems as if he just caught that Pokemon."

"Maybe... Wait, who are you?" - Black

"My name is Lucas. I come from Sinnoh to... well let's just say I'm on a 3 year vacation," Lucas says rubbing the side of his head at that last part. He coldn't tell him the truth. "So, what are you going to do on the rest of your journey?"

"Well, I don't really know. I was thinking of doing what Cheren is doing and challenge the gym leaders. I feel that's the best way to challenge the champions of the other regions!" - Black

"Heh, good luck with that..." Lucas says, knowing personally how strong they are. He then says, "You don't mind if I go with you right? I'm an expert at Pokemon battles."

"...But you're no older than me," Black says. "Do you have any Pokemon?"

"Well yeah, but like I said I'm on vacation. I can't really show you my Pokemon," Lucas says with a sigh. He then cheers up with, "Anyway, let's go book a room at the center. It's starting to get dark."

"O-Okay..." Black and Lucas head to the center. "By the way, my name is Black."

"...Really? Your name is Black? It isn't as bad as Red, but still..." - Lucas

"Well, it's actually Hilbert, but I'm sticking with Black." - Black

Lucas shrugs his shoulders and continue inside. There they book a night's stay.

Tomorrow Morning...

"Let's get moving!" Lucas shouts out to the sky with a grin. Beside him is Black. "First thing to pokemon training; get an early start. Because you don't know how long it will take to train your team of partners."

"But it's 8. It'll only take a few hours to reach the next place, which I hope has a gym," Hilbert says, looking at a portable Town Map he has.

"Let's get going!" Lucas says in an enthusiastic tone. Hilbert huffs and follows him out to Route 2. After crossing through the gateway they continue into the grass. Lucas then says, "When training your Pokemon against others battle against pokemon that can help with their stats."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" - Hilbert

And so Hilbert's journey through Unova begins, with Lucas there to help him be the best of them all. What will he see when he continues and keeps meeting that weird green haired guy? What have Lucas' friends done in the time he's been away? And what are Plasma's true intentions?

Some will be answered in the next chapter of the Gray Adventure.

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Kenshin:This ends this chapter.

Yusei: Next time Hilbert battles against Pod and meets Fennel. Lucas is reunited with Cheryl, but it's not as happy as one would think.


	2. Chapter 2

_**The Grey Adventure**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Yusei: **plays 3DS** I don't know what they mean. My eyes don't hurt at all.

Julia: It only affects little kids.

Yusei: Ah. Anyway, in this chapter Black heads towards his first gym battle. It won't be as easy as he thinks.

**_Journal Entry 2: Elesa And The First Gym Badge_**

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"Eiji, use Water Gun!" Eiji fires water at a Lillipup, knocking it out. Black flicks his nose confidently with his left thumb, smirking. "Alright!"

"Doin' great!" Lucas says, standing by a tree. "Let's wrap it up and head for Striaton City."

"Sure!" Black says, walking along the grass with Eiji and Lucas. "You seem to know alot about Pokemon. You got any badges?"

"Do I?" Lucas takes out his two badge cases, letting Hilbert look after them. He opens the case and sees his first set of badges from Sinnoh. He then checks out the second set from Johto.

"Wow. You've been to Johto too!" Black exclaims in shock. 'Wait, if he has these badges then he might have had a chance to challenge the champion of his region.'

"I'm getting hungry... Let's get some ice candy in Striaton!" Lucas says after taking back his cases.

"Hilbert!" Black looks back and sees Bianca coming up to them. She steps on her shoelace and trips, crashing into Hilbert and Lucas. They fall on the steps. "Sorry!"

"Ah, my back!" Black shouts, his back injured from the fall. But then again he always gets hurt on the back thanks to Bianca, so this is nothing.

"Oh no! Are you okay?" she asks, now worried about him.

"Who are you?" Lucas asks.

"...Who are you?" she asks, looking at the dark haired champion.

"I'm Lucas, Hilbert's trainer. Are you one of his friends?" he asks her. She nods and holds her hand out to him.

"I'm Bianca. Nice to meet you Lucas," she says, turning to the black protagonist. "Anyway, I was hoping I could battle you!"

"Already? It's only been a... Actually, I think we can do it," Black says, standing tall with Eiji beside him. "Let's go, Eiji!"

"Go, Lillipup!" Bianca sends out her first Pokemon, Lillipup. "Use Tackle!"

Lillipup charges at Eiji. It moves to the side, avoiding the dog. "Eiji, Water Gun!"

Eiji fires water at the dog, hitting square in the side of its head. "Lilipup, use Leer!"

"Don't look!" Eiji closes his eyes to avoid Lillupup's leer.

"Tackle!" Unfortunately this left it open to a tackle.

"Razor Shell!" Eiji draws his seashell and forms a water blade. He then leaps into the air and slashes Lillupup, knocking it out. "Alright!"

"Lillipup, are you okay?" Bianca reclaims her Pokemon, showing worry for it. "Well, you really are a tough cookie, Black. I'm gonna work hard on training my Pokemon so we won't lose anymore!"

"Good luck Bianca!" Black says, smiling back at the confident woman. She nods and runs off south of the route. "She really tries her best."

"Yeah... It feels as though she likes you somehow," Lucas says, causing Black to turn to him suddenly.

"Eh? No, you're just seeing things. Let's get movin'," Black says, shaking his head at that assumption. After recalling back Eiji they continue north towards Striaton City. Before heading towards the Pokemon center Black buys him and Lucas a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar.

"You still need to catch more pokemon. Your team can't keep it up with only two," Lucas says, quickly finishing his bar. They walk passed the pokemon center to a building beside it.

"I'll be fine. If we work together we'll make a miracle!" Hilbert states, thrusting his bar up into the air. "Where is the gym anyway?"

"It's over here," Lucas says, pointing to the building they're beside. An old man stands in their way.

"Are you looking for the gym leader?" He asks them.

"Yup," Black asks.

"He's not here at the moment. Check the school," he says, pointing at the school down by the other side of the center. "If you want to challenge him, please go find him. It ain't far from school."

"A trainer school? Haven't been there in a long time," Lucas says, remembering he went to one when he was 12 and about to get his first badge.

"A trainer school, huh? Let's go then!" Black heads for the school, running as fast as his running shoes would take him. He turns around to face Lucas, who isn't doing anything. "You coming?"

"Nah, you have fun," Lucas says, waving at him. He holds up the wooden stick, checking it for anything left to eat. He looks back to see someone coming out the gym. He's a green haired waiter with eyes matching the drapes.

"Good day. Are you here to challenge the gym?" he asks him.

"Uh, well, I'm not. I do know someone who will," Lucas says.

"Well, what pokemon did he start off with?" The waiter asks the diamond protagonist.

"...I think it was Oshawott," Lucas tells him.

"I see. Tell him to head for the Dreamyard for extra training. He'll need it against a Grass type," he tells him.

"Oh, you're a Grass type gym leader?" Lucas asks.

"...I guess you could say that. My name is Cilan," he tells him. Cilan then heads into the gym.

Black returns to the gym, saying to Lucas, "I'm back. He wasn't there it seems... But I did run into Cheren!"

"That guy with the specs, huh?" Lucas says to himself. He turns to Black and says, "Let's go to the Dreamyard. You may need help against this gym leader."

"Eh?" Lucas takes Black's hand and they head east for the Dreamyard.

Sometime Later...

"Are you going to challenge the gym leader? What pokemon do you have?" A random lass trainer asks Black.

"Well, yeah. I don't think I should tell you though," Black says.

"He has an Oshawott and Lillipup." Lucas states.

"Hey!" Black exclaims.

"Oh, then you'll probably need this." The trainer hands him a Pokeball. "Inside is a Pansear. It's a fire type for you to battle against Cilan."

"Uh, thanks..." Black says, taking the ball from him gracefully. "Should we go?"

"Of course." Lucas takes hold of Black's shoulder and they walk back to Striaton City. As they leave Lucas catches sight of a woman with long green hair walking further into the Dreamyard. Her appearance is so familiar he couldn't help but stare. "Cheryl?"

"Hey, you coming?" Lucas hears Black's voice calling out to him, and follows after him, knowing there's no way she could have come to Unova.

There they head to the Pokemon center, to heal his duo of Pokemon, and back at the gym. Inside the design of the gym looks a bit like a cafe. "I've been here once before, but I never expected it to look so formal. I don't see any traps or anything."

"Traps?" Black asks.

"You'll see. The next time you'll see it," Lucas says to him, pushing him forward. They sit down at a table, and Cilan approaches them. "You again?"

"Hello, welcome to the Striaton Gym. What would you like to order?" he asks him. "Would you like to battle against the gym trainers, or go up against the gym leader directly?"

"...Uh... I would like to battle the leader directly," he says, making his order.

"Very well," Cilan says, smiling before bowing. His left arm jesters to the curtains, which open up. Cilan moves to the spot, standing beside a red haired trainer, and a blue haired trainer; both are dressed the same as him.

"I'm Chili! I light things up with fiery Pokemon!" The red one says.

"I'm a water specialist who goes by the name of Cress," The blue one says."Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"And my name is Cilan. I like grass and meadow," Cilan says. They both spin, shocking the two protagonists. "Um, you see, as for why the three of us, um, are all here is, well, er..."

"Oh, enough! Listen; the three of us will decide whom you'll battle, based on the type of the first pokemon you chose!" Chili states.

"That is indeed the case. And since the Pokemon you chose as your starter was a water type, it seems your opponent is Cilan." Cress states. He and Chili both back away, leaving Cilan up front.

"Nothing personal... no hard feelings... Me and my grass Pokemon will... We shall battle, come what may," he says, trying to get the appropriate words out.

"...Sure. Let's do it!" Hilbert says, smiling while taking out a Pokeball. They both step back, leaving room for the battle. "Eiji!"

"Lillipup!" Cilan sends out Lillipup while Hilbert goes with Eiji.

"Water Gun!" Eiji fires a stream of water, but the puppy dodges. 'This one's much faster than all the others.'

"Work up!" Lillipup begins shaking all around. Checking his Pokedex he sees that Lillipup is increasing its special and physical attack power. "Tackle!"

"Use Water Gun on the ground!" Eiji shoots at the ground, causing Lillipup to slip and crash onto the side of a wall. "Attack with Tackle!"

Oshawott slides up to Lillipup and rams into it. "Lillipup, Bite."

The dog hops onto Eiji and bites down onto his skull. Eiji runs around in pain. "Shake 'em off! Launch yourself into the air with Water Gun!"

"Keep using Bite!" Lillipup continues biting down on Eiji, who suddenly shoots itself into the air, crashing into the ceiling.

"Call Eiji back and replace with Pansear!" Lucas says, turning to Black.

"Huh?"

"Just do it," he says. Black calls back Eiji, and sends out Pansear just like Lucas said.

"Ah, you went and got a fire type. That should put you ahead," Cilan says. "Lillipup, Tackle!"

"Incinerate!" Pansear jumps in the air and releases a small fire stream at Lillipup, burning it all over. Lillipup falls to the ground, fainting.

"Lillipup is unable to battle; Pansear wins!" Chili says.

"Huh? I only have one Pokemon left?" Cilan questions as he retrieves his Lillipup. With a smile he then says, "It seems you're truly a trainer who knows how to battle, but I'm guessing you rely on the advice of your friend over there too much, right?"

"That's not true!" Black responds. Cilan sends out his last Pokemon, Pansage. "Pansear, use Incinerate!"

"Vine Whip!" Pansage pulls out vines and smacks Pansear in the face, causing it to miss its fire attack. "Bite!"

Pansage uses vine whip to drag Pansear towards it, and begins biting down on its left arm. "Use Incinerate!"

Close up Pansear fires flames at Pansage. Pansage moves away, brushing the flames off of it. Black then says, "Use it again!"

"Dig!" Pansage burrows underground, avoiding the fire attack. Pansear begins to look around, awaiting Pansage's return.

The ground underneath Pansear begins to shake. "Jump away!"

"Too late!" Pansear jumps away, but Pansage comes up from the ground and punches it in the face. "Vine Whip!"

"Scratch!" Pansear swipes the vines away, getting closer to Pansage. "Incinerate!"

"Vine Whip!" Pansage gets set on fire again, just as it smacks Pansear in the face. The fire monkey falls backwards, fainting.

"Pansear is unable to battle. Pansage wins!" Cress says.

"...Damn..." Black says to himself.

"Don't worry, you still got Oshawott!" Lucas says.

"But he's a water type!" Black replies.

"Don't worry about it. Pokemon battles aren't always about type!" Lucas says to him.

Sighing, Black sends out his final Pokemon, Eiji. "Eiji, use Water Gun!"

Eiji squirts a stream at Pansage, hitting square in the face. Pansage wipes off the water. "Pansage, Vine Whip!"

Pansage takes out vines and begins swiping at Eiji. Eiji takes out his scalchop and begins knocking the vines aside. "Alright!"

"Eh? That's a rather persistent Oshawott," Cilan says with amusement.

"Eiji, use Razor Shell!" Eiji instead tosses the scalchop at Pansage, hitting it in the face. It then rushes up and tackles Pansage. "Eh? Still not listening to me?"

"Meh, still works," Lucas mutters, shrugging his shoulders.

"Vine Whip!" Pansage smacks Eiji in the face, damaging its nose. "Use Dig!"

Pansage digs underground once more. Eiji looks around, checking for it to arise. "Eiji, ignore Pansage and grab the scalchop! When he rises use Razor Shell!"

Eiji nods and rushes over to the seashell, diving to grab hold of it. Pansage bursts up from the ground and whips a vine at Eiji. He stands, knocks aside the vine, and extends a water blade. Eiji then jumps at Pansage and cuts, striking Pansage with his special attack.

"Pansage!" Pansage rises up after taking that hit, but suddenly falls to the ground fainting. "Oh no. I've lost?"

"Alright!" Black shouts, throwing his left fist up into the air triumphantly. Eiji smirks before falling down to one knee, tired. "Eiji... He really fought hard."

"...What a surprise You...are very strong. Seems like not even Chili or Cress could beat you.. Here." After Cilan retrieves his Pansage he walks to Black and hands him what he earned; the Trio Badge. "Gym badges are proof of a trainer's abilities. This shows how strong you are."

"Wow, thanks!" Black says, holding his badge up in the air. He pops open his badge case and places the badge inside. He also calls back Eiji.

"You did great. Nice job," Lucas says, crossing his arms and looking at him. "One down, seven left to go."

"Yeah. Let's hope they're not as tough as this guy," Black says with a hopeful tone.

"Actually, the next gyms are all much stronger than me," Cilan says, causing Black to drop his jaw.

"EH?"

After his sudden outburst, Lucas and Black leave the gym. As they do, a lovely older woman wearing a lab coat approaches them. "Hello there, I'm Fennel. Are you Hilbert?"

"...Do I know you?" he asks her.

"Nope, but Professor Juniper asked me to give you something. Please come." With that she takes his hand and walks to a nearby building. Lucas follows after them, knowing this all seems familiar. Inside she leads him upstairs to a lab. "Like I said before, I'm Fennel, and as you can see I'm a scientist. Infact, I study trainers!"

"Eh?" Lucas and Black say in unison.

"Juniper and I are friends from college. She asked me to help you guys out!" she begins, giving off the cutest smile to the teenagers. "Anyway, I need your help at the moment. There's a place called the Dreamyard on the outskirts of Striaton City. I need some of the dream mist that a Pokemon called Munna gives off."

"...I guess I can help with that," Lucas says, turning to the black protagonist. He nods in agreement. "We'll help!"

"Thanks! Oh, by the way, do you two happen to have a girlfriend?" Fennel asks them. Black blushes at her words.

"Uh, no! I'm still searching, but I'm cool for now," Black tells her.

"I do," Lucas says with a smile, surprising Black.

"Eh?"

"Why would you ask that?" Lucas asks her.

"Oh nothing. It's just there's a woman I was hoping you'd escort home in Nimbasa City," she says, putting up an innocent smile. Both the male trainers look at one another and then back at her. "But that's for later; get going, you two!"

Lucas and Black exit the building and head for the Dreamyard. Black thinks, I wonder who she is? I hope she doesn't have a 'wonderful personality'. A thought then enters his head, and he turns back to Lucas, asking, "You have a girlfriend?"

"Yeah, so what?"

"How come I'm hearing about it now?" Black asks.

"I don't think it really matters; she's back in Sinnoh. Besides, we've only been hanging out for about two days," he tells him. Lucas then sighs, saying, "I miss Cheryl though."

"Then give her a call!" Black exclaims.

They soon reach the Dreamyard and enter in after Pansear cuts down a tree blocking their path. Just as they're about to, someone comes running up to them. "Black! Lucas!"

"Bianca?" Black looks back and sees his blond female friend coming up to him. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for a mysterious Pokemon! Whacha guys doin'?" Bianca says, speaking in that cute tone that makes one think about Phineas and Ferb.

"...We're looking for Dream Mist for Ms. Fennel," Black says to her. Suddenly, they hear a squeal up ahead.

"You guys hear something?" she asks them.

"No, we're just humoring a weirdo like you," Lucas says with a sarcastic funny tone. She pouts at him and walks ahead. Black punches him in the back of the kidney.

"Dude!" Lucas exclaims.

"Let's go!" Black chases after Bianca, heading towards the courtyard. Out in the opening, a Munna can be seen floating. "That's a Munna, right?"

Black looks at it through his Pokedex. "Munna, the Dream Eater Pokemon; Munna always float in the air. People whose dreams are eaten by them forget what the dreams had been about. A pleasant dream let's it release a pink mist."

Bianca walks over to the Pokemon, but as she does two people walk out from behind a gate and approach it. The male says, "We've got you now, Munna!"

"Come on and make some of that Dream Mist!" The female yells at it.

"Aren't those guys Team Plasma?" Lucas asks.

"Hey, yeah!" Black exclaims

"Hey, who are you two?" Bianca yells.

"We're Team Plasma. We battle day and night to liberate Pokemon from foolish humans!" The woman member says to her.

"Munna and Musharna release a vapor called Dream Mist, which can affect a human's dreams. We'll use that mist to convince humans to release their Pokemon!" he says, kicking Munna to the ground.

"I don't care what you guys want! I won't let you hurt Munna!" Bianca shouts at her.

"I agree with her!" Black says, clenching his fist tightly.

"How can you treat a Pokemon like this? You're trainers, right?" Lucas asks them.

"...We're Pokemon Trainers, but we're fighting for a different reason!" The woman says. "Unlike you two, we're fighting for the freedom of Pokemon!"

"Setting Pokemon free means that we win Pokemon battles and take Pokemon by force!" he shouts.

"So we're going to do you two a favor and rescue your Pokemon from you!" They say in unison. The male member grabs hold of Black by his jacket collar.

"Wait, don't hurt Black!" Bianca shouts at him.

"Aura Sphere!" Lucas fires an Aura Sphere at the Team Plasma member, knocking him back and forcing him to release Black. He falls on his behind. "Beat it!"

"What the hell was that?" The male Plasma grunt mumbles under coughs.

"That kid..." The female grunt mutters in shock. She prepares to take out her Pokeball, but a hand grabs hold of her arm. "Master Ghetsis?"

"What are you two doing?" he asks her, releasing her hand. "We, Team Plasma, shall separate Pokemon from foolish humans."

He walks to the back behind the grunts, forcing them to face him. "If you cannot fulfill your duties..."

"...T-this isn't..."

"This isn't Gehtsis when he is gathering followers or tricking people to control them with speech..."

"Yeah... This is Ghetsis when a plan has failed and he is about to issue punishment..." Their whispers unheard by the trainers bring suspicion to them. They head behind Ghetsis and he disappears with them in a flash of light. Before vanishing he glances at Lucas with hatefilled eyes.

Once they've left, a larger version of Munna appears, Musharna. Bianca then asks, "What was that just now? That guy called Ghetsis appeared and left... Was it real?"

"He was there though..." Lucas says, crossing his arms together.

"Oh!" The trio turn around and spot Fennel coming up to them. "I couldn't wait so I came over! Is that Musharna?"

The two Pokemon fly away, leavign something behind. Fennel then asks, "Did something happen?"

"Well, you see, Munna was here, but so was Team Plasma who wanted to use it... It's almost like he wasn't there..." Bianca says, jumbling her words a bit.

"...?" - Lucas

"Is that Dream Mist?" Fennel asks as he looks up ahead as the pink dust just ahead of the trainers. She takes some of it and places it in a vial. "With this I can complete my research! You two can come to my house later, okay?"

"Okay," Black says, and soon they head off back to Striaton City. Bianca stays behind to capture the Pokemon Munna.

...

"Ah! That was a good meal!" Lucas says as he finishes chewing a fish bone. "I need to work on my bone chewing technique."

"You're not suppose to eat the bone," Black says to him, putting his fork down on the table.

"Says you!" Lucas says to him. After paying the bill they leave, heading towards Fennel's building. After leaving the Dreamyard Black took his Pokemon to be healed and then they went to get something to eat. Now they're on their way to Fennel's lab.

There they find Fennel and another woman sitting with her at a table, drinking tea. Fennel puts her cup down and looks at the two boys. "Ara, you came! Gentlemen, this is the person I was hoping for you to meet; Elesa-san!"

"Elesa?" Black takes a moment to look at the woman Fennel mentioned, sitting right before her. She is a blond haired beauty with blue eyes and what seems to be an electric themed outfit on. She also has headphones on her head bigger than her ears. "Oh, hey. You're Elesa, right?"

"Uh huh. Are you two my escorts?" Elesa asks, looking up at the starter trainer. As she glances at him, a small blush rises up on her face.

"Yeah. My name's Lucas, and this here's Hilbert. It's best to call him Black though," Lucas says, turning to him and then Elesa. "Wait, escorts?"

"Yeah. Fennel said you two wouldn't mind bringing me to Nimbasa City, right? You two are collecting gym badges, right?" she asks, surprised that he wouldn't know.

"...You're a gym leader?" Black asks her. Elesa stands up and faces Black.

"Yes. I am Nimbasa City's Shining Beauty, Elesa. I'm not only a gym leader, I'm also a supermodel," she tells them, moving her hand up in a flowing motion. "I will formally battle any of you two once we've reached my home."

"Deal!" Black holds his hand out to her. She gladly takes and shakes it.

"It may take a few days though." Lucas adds.

"Good luck you three! Have fun on your romantic adventure!" Fennel says to the three.

"Romantic?" Black exclaims in shock.

The Next Day...

"We're off!" Lucas shouts, heading out the Pokemon Center with Black and Elesa following. They go west towards Route 3.

"...Is he always this rambunctious?" Elesa asks Black.

"Meh... He tends to be a little too into things I guess," Black says with a 'meh' smile. The three trainers continue through Route 3, moving leisurely along the flattened path. Elesa sighs as the autumn breeze blows, her headphone antennas flowing.

Elesa takes a moment to glance at Black, before asking, "How long have you been a trainer?"

"I've only started recently. It's going good though; already got the Trio Badge," Black says, pointing to his belt with three balls.

"I've been a trainer for over two years I guess," Lucas says, spinning his left arm to stretch it. "But I'm on vacation now, so I can't show you my team."

"Vacation? From Pokemon training?" she asks with a questionable look on her face. They pass by a day care for children, and Pokemon.

"It's complicated," he replies, remembering his promise to Arceus. He wouldn't bother telling either of them why he's really in Unova, until it became an Isshu/issue.

"Yo, Black!" Cheren's voice calls out. The trio turns around to see the raven haired teen running up to them. "I've come to challenge you!"

"Again? But it's only been a day since the last time we battled!" Black says to him.

"Doesn't matter!" he says, looking at him. His eyes then glance over to Elesa, blushes when he sees her appearance. "Who's she?"

"Out of the way!" Two members of Team Plasma come running through, knocking the two friends down. They keep going until they reach Wellspring cave.

"...What just happened?" Lucas asks as he helps Cheren up. Elesa helps Black onto his feet.

"Black! Cheren! Whoever you are, we've got a big problem!" Bianca shouts out as she and a little girl run up to them. Lucas frowns when she refers him to 'whoever who are'.

"Bianca?" Black exclaims.

"What's wrong?" Cheren asks her.

"Team Plasma just stole this little girl's Pokemon!" she explains, pointing to the little girl beside her, who is crying I might add.

"What?" They both shout in unison.

"They went to that cave. We can cut 'em off there!" Elesa says, taking off after them. Lucas follows along with Black and Cheren. Bianca watches as Elesa leaves, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Who was she..."

Wellspring Cave...

"Hey!" Cheren shouts, catching the attention of Team Plasma. "Give back that girl's pokemon!"

"Make us!" One of them shouts back.

"That child couldn't bring out a Pokemon's full potential. It makes them sad!" The second one says. "It's the same for yours too! Take this!"

He sends out Patrat. Black chooses Lillipup. "Use Tackle!"

Lillipup tackles Patrat, knocking it into a wall. "Patrat, bite back!"

"Go Patrat!" The other grunt sends out a second Patrat just as the first bites down on Lillipup's head.

"Snively, Vine Whip!" Cheren sends out his starter, and it whips away the second and the first away from Lillipup.

"Tackle!" Lillipup tackles the second Patrat.

"Snively, Leaf Tornado!" Snivy spins, forming a tornado of leaves with its tail. It then slams the first Patrat with it, knocking it into the second. They both faint.

"No way!" The first one growls out in anger.

"You're kidding!" The second grunt grunts.

"Not so fast!" Two more grunts come in to help the first two. "In order to liberate Pokemon from fools,we have to take them away!"

"Take this!" Lucas fires Dark Pulse, blowing them away. This shocks Black, Cheren, and Elesa, along with the grunts. "Do whatever you think, it won't work! What reason could possibly justify stealing friends from eachother?"

"Friends?" A grunt exclaims.

"Pokemon trainers like you are making pokemon suffer..." The second one complains.

"What are you talking about?" Cheren asks.

"We will return the Pokemon to you," The fourth one says, handing Cheren the ball.

"But be aware of how this Pokemon suffers from being used by people! Someday, open your eyes to your own complicity!" The third one states. They each throw a flash bomb to the ground, temporarily blinding them so they could escape.

"Trainers bring out a Pokemon's strength. Pokemon believe in their trainers and respond to that," Lucas says, crossing his arms together after his eyes return to normal. "How does hardship through battle make Pokemon suffer?"

"Anyway, I'll return the Pokemon. We can have our battle some other day," Cheren says, leaving to head back to Bianca and the little girl. Black's eyes manage to get better, and they leave out the cave.

Along the way Elesa eyes Lucas with interest. 'That was Dark Pulse, a dark attack. How is a human able to use it?'

They continue walking back to where Bianca and the little girl are, Cheren having left already. They approach the girls, Bianca saying, "You guys got the girl's Pokemon back! I'm so glad to have friends like you!"

"It wasn't a big deal," Black says. He watches Cheren's retreating figure for a while. "Where's Cheren going?"

"He dropped the pokeball by and left. Says he's going to Nacrene City to gain a gym badge," Bianca tells him.

"Thank you so much sirs!" The little girl says, smiling to them.

"That's okay. We would have done it regardless," Lucas says, bowing down to her and patting her head.

"I'm going to take this girl home. You guys, good luck!" Bianca takes hold of her hand and walks off with her.

"What a nice girl," Elesa says, watching Bianca walk off. She falls face forward though, taking the kid with her. Black drops his head in reaction. "A bit of a klutz, but she means well."

"Yeah, she's always been like that. Anyway, let's get going! I wanna get to the next city before lunch," Hilbert says, looking down at his Xtransceiver.

"Yeah. We've gone off track, but now things are returning to normal," Lucas says, crossing his arms together. "I wonder what the next gym has in store..."

"Speaking of normal... Can I ask just what are you?" Elesa says to Lucas.

"...Huh?" Lucas turns to Elesa.

"You were able to use a Pokemon attack. How is that possible?" Elesa asks him.

"...Oh yeah, you used one too yesterday. What's that all about?" Black adds.

"Oh that? I'm an Aura Guardian. They're a group of humans capable of utilizing an energy force called aura to use certain moves and do other things. I can also read the minds of Pokemon with concentration," Lucas explains, holding a thumb up to his face and smiling. "Cool, eh?"

"I've never heard of an Aura Guardian before," Elesa says, placing a finger to her cheek suspiciously.

"Yeah." Black adds.

"That's because most of us aren't around. The only ones around are me and Riley," Lucas says, a sigh accompanying his sentence. "Let's get moving."

As they continue walking, Black couldn't help but think about Lucas a little. Now that it comes to his mind he doesn't really know much about him; just that he comes from Sinnoh and that he's on vacation from Pokemon training. And now he's just finding out he's some sort of human capable of fighting like a Pokemon; it's so intriguing he can't stop thinking about it.

As they walk, a Pidove comes flying by them. It lands on Black's head and takes off, stealing his hat. "Ah! My hat!"

Black chases after Pidove, prepared to take his hat back. He takes out a Pokeball, sending Pansear to battle. The fire type lands on Pidove's back, shocking it. "Alright! Now, use scratch!"

Pansear scratches Pidove's back, causing it to drop Black's hat. He leaps out and grabs it, taking his hat back. Elesa blinks, saying, "You reacted a little bit much for a hat."

"It's not just any hat! It's the same hat White wears too! We promised to wear it on our journey every day until we became proper trainers!" Black says to her. "Incinerate!"

Pansear breathes fire upon Pidove, bringing it down. With it weakened, he takes out a ball and enlarges it. "Pokeball, go!"

Black tosses his ball at Pidove, catching it. The ball falls and begins shaking a bit, before it stops beeping. Black takes the ball, and lifts it up in the air. "I caught a Pidove!"

"That's the first time I've seen one..." Lucas says as he examines the Pokeball.

"Are you gonna give it a name?" Elesa asks him.

Black uses his Pokedex to scan the ball, and it shows Pidove, its stats, gender and the moves it knows; it has a Modest personality, it's a female, and it knows Gust, Leer, Growl and Quick Attack. "It's a girl, so I guess I'll name her Dovely."

"What? That's a lame name," Lucas comments.

"I think it's a cute name," Elesa says, smiling a little.

"Well, now that we've got a new member we can continue to Nacrene!" Black says, placing his new friend on his belt.

"We're almost there, right through this bridge," Elesa says, pointing over to the bridge.

Later That Afternoon...

Black, Lucas and Elesa reach Nacrene City, seeing how large it is. Elesa brushes her hair back, looking out into the city. "Nacrene, huh? Haven't been here in a while without passing through."

"It is nice," Lucas says in agreement. He looks to his left, and spots a woman with long green hair walking towards what seems to be a museum. 'Cheryl?' "Okay, you Black go to the center and heal your Pokemon. I'll go over here and... yeah."

"Eh?" Black watches as Lucas walks off, heading left to the museum. "That's suspicious."

"We can go follow him. Here, use these Potion on your Pokemon," Elesa says, digging into her bag for two potions.

Back with Lucas he continues to follow the green haired woman into the museum. He stops before it and reads the sign. "'Nacrene Museum and Gym. Gym Leader Lenora; the Natural Born Mama.'"

After reading the sign he shrugs and enters the gym, but someone comes out and pushes him back. "Oh, sorry."

"It's not a problem... Wait, you look familiar..." Lucas says, taking a moment to look at the green haired guy.

"I... want to see things no one can see," he says, looking up at him. "The truths of Pokemon inside Pokeballs, the trainers' ideals, and a future where Pokemon have become perfect."

"...You do seem familiar..." Lucas tells him.

"Do you feel the same?" he asks him.

"...Yes?" he answers.

"...Is that so? I think my friends and I should test you to see if you can see this future, too." The guy takes out a Pokeball and prepares to send it out.

"Lucas!" Black calls out as he and Elesa rush to catch up with him. His eyes spot the green haired man and he speaks, "N?"

"Hello. Would you like to be tested instead?" N sends out his first Pokemon, a Pidove. Black stops for a moment, Elesa doing the same.

'That man...' Elesa thinks.

"What are you doing to Lucas?" Black questions him, taking out a Pokeball.

"I was just challenging him to a match. It's no big deal," he replies.

"You're ganging up on him! He doesn't have any Pokemon to battle you with!" Black shouts at him, sending out Eiji. "If you want to battle, me and Eiji will do!"

"...Very well. Go, my friend!" N says, sending his pokemon Pidove into battle.

* * *

Kenshin: And that ends this chapter.

Yusei: Next time, Black goes up against Lenora and then moves onto Castelia through the forest. Cheryl makes her true appearance at the beginning though.


	3. Chapter 3

_**The Grey Adventure**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Kenshin: Wow. I can't believe that guy is married to such a hot lady.

Yusei: Aren't you married too?

Kenshin: Yeah, but Ester isn't around.

Ester: Yes I am.

Kenshin: *screams and runs away*

Yusei: Anyway, in this chapter Black faces off against Lenora, twice. He then deals with Team Plasma in Pinwheel and Liberty Garden while Lucas reunites with Cheryl... Sort of.

**_Journal Entry 3: The Growing Trainer  
_**

* * *

_"Hello. Would you like to be tested instead?" N sends out his first Pokemon, a Pidove. Black stops for a moment, Elesa doing the same._

_'That man...' Elesa thinks._

_"What are you doing to Lucas?" Black questions him, taking out a Pokeball._

_"I was just challenging him to a match. It's no big deal," he replies._

_"You're ganging up on him! He doesn't have any Pokemon to battle you with!" Black shouts at him, sending out Eiji. "If you want to battle, me and Eiji will do!"_

_"...Very well. Go, my friend!" N says, sending his pokemon Pidove into battle._

"Eiji, use Water Gun!" Eiji fires at the pigeon dove, but misses as it takes flight. "Don't be discouraged! Keep it up!"

"Keep dodging and then use Air Cutter!" Pidove continues to avoid the streams of water, until it sees an opening and flies above the sea otter. It then flaps its wings, releasing wind condensed into the form of blades to slice Eiji. "Quick Attack!"

"Eiji, counter with Tackle!" Eiji runs towards Pidove, taking it to the beak. Pidove is knocked back, but both remain okay.

"Return, Pidove," N says, retrieving his Pokemon.

"Eh? You're calling off the battle?" Black asks. "Although, I bet you would."

"I've seen enough. Oshawott has indeed gotten stronger. My friends won't be enough at this rate," he says, walking passed them to Pinwheel Forest. 'I'll need more power...Power that will end this without me having to fight... The legendary Pokemon Reshiram that stood by the hero...'

"That guy is weird. Just who is he?" Black asks himself. Eiji looks up to Black and begins talking. "Huh? What's up little guy?"

"He says he dislikes the name Oshawott," Lucas says, holding a hand up to his head as he reads Eiji's mind.

"He does?" Black turns back to his Pokemon. "What about Eiji?"

Eiji begins to speak again, and Lucas translates, "He wants to be called Date?"

"...As in Date Masamune?" Black asks him. Lucas shrugs in agreement. Black sighs and smiles, saying, "Sure. Let's get you ready for our next match, Date!"

Date nods happily, walking over to him. He takes hold of his water type and hoists him on his shoulder. "Next stop, Nacrene gym!"

Black, Lucas and Elesa walk into the building, and see it's really a museum. Black walks in and is approached by an adult. "Hello. I am Hawes, assistant director of the Nacrene Museum. Look you like me to show you around?"

"Uh..." Black is about to ask him about the gym, but Hawes takes his arm and shows him around.

"This skeleton is of a Dragon-type Pokémon. There's a theory that it had an accident while it was flying around the world, and so it became a Fossil," Hawes explains as he shows Black a giant statue of a dragon pokemon. He then walks over to another item, and says, "This rock is amazing! It's a meteorite! It contains some kind of energy from space."

Black looks around, until his eyes go to a black stone. "What's that?"

Hawes turns to the exhibit he mentioned. They walk to it, Lucas and Elesa following them. "Oh, this? It's an ordinary old stone. It was found near the desert, but other than the fact that it's old, it doesn't seem to have any value... We only display it because it's rather pretty to look at."

"Huh..." Black says, his eyes stuck on the stone. Hawes then leads the trio up the stairs to a second door.

"The Pokémon Gym is just beyond here. If you're a challenger then it is my duty to lead you to my wife Lenora," he says to them.

"Actually, I do want to challenge your wife. I'm Hilbert from Nuvema Town," Black says to him.

"Then come with me," he says, leading Black and the others into the back of the room. This takes them to what looks to be a library. "It's an archive full of valuable books and research paper. You won't find as many books anywhere in all of Unova about Unova!"

"...Well, that's great and all, but where's the battlefield?" Lucas asks him.

"Yeah, I came for battle," Black says. He then grins and says, "Although you might as well hand me the badge now. I'm on a roll!"

Lucas sighs upon hearing that. It's the sign of a trainer being high on victory. He remembers that feeling before, right before he lost to Roark.

"I know. That's why I brought you here. Even for Pokemon battles, knowledge is important," Hawes says before walking further into the library. He taps a book inside the shelf. "I recommend this book."

"I'm not sure I really need to study though..." Black says with a scowl.

"I think it's a good idea to read that book," Elesa says, smiling secretly. "It may do more help then you think?"

"You say that, but how do I know it's not a trap?" Black asks her. "I mean, I could take the book, but I might have to do some other quiz and that would be a waste of time-"

"Just take the damn book!" Lucas says with an annoyed tone.

"Fine! I'm just go straight ahead!" Black walks to the book shelf and takes the book Hawes tapped. When he pulls it though the book shelf begins to move, surprising the two males. Elesa smiles, as if expecting that. It goes all the way to the wall, revealing the steps leading to the bottom. "Uh, what, eh... What's going on?"

"It took some pressure, but you did the straight forward path today. The battlefield is downstairs in the basement," Hawes says to him. "Most trainers don't go along with the way I show them, even though it's the easiest path. They read too much into my, or Lenora's, actions."

"It's easier to figure out a trainers' inclinations just by the way they act here, is that right Hawes-san?" Elesa says to him.

"Eh?"

"Black is the type of person who takes things too seriously, and focuses on only what he thinks is necessary," she tells Lucas.

"...Yeah, that makes sense," Lucas says, agreeing with her. Date nods in agreement.

"Hey! Are you insulting me?" Black shouts at his friends. He heads down the stairs, Date still on his shoulder.

Downstairs Black comes to the battlefield. Waiting on the other end is the gym leader, Lenora. She smiles as she looks at the challenger, Black. "Welcome! The director of the Nacrene Museum and its gym leader is me, Lenora!"

"Hi! I'm Black, the guy who will be defeating you today!" he replies. Lucas, Elesa and Hawes come downstairs to join them.

"Well then challenger, I'm going to research how you battle with the Pokemon you've so lovingly raised!" Lenora says, taking out a ball.

"The challenger Hilbert from Nuvema Town will battle against Gym Leader Lenora; both trainers will use two Pokemon. Begin!" Hawes says, being the referee for the match.

"Let's go, Dovely!" Black sends out Dovely.

"Herdier, enter the stage!" Lenora sends out Herdier.

"Air Cutter!" Dovely releases blades of wind at Herdier.

"Take Down!" Herdier surrounds itself with yellow energy and runs straight through it, taking the attack without difficulty. Herdier then attacks, knocking Dovely to the ground. After yellow electricity sparks through Herdier through recoil damage, Dovely faints.

"Dovely is unable to battle. Herdier wins!" Hawes says.

"Good work, Herdier," Lenora says, applauding her Pokemon.

'You gotta be kidding me!' Black complains in his head. 'I had no idea the difference between the first and second gym would be so huge.'

"This seems familiar..." Lucas says. He recalls the time he battled Whitney and lost to her in the first battle because he underestimated her.

"Return, Dovely!" Black recalls his Pokemon. "I'm sorry you had to suffer so much."

Date pats on his head. "You wanna go?"

He nods and jumps off Black's shoulder, landing on the battlefield. "Alright, I'll go with you. I'm sorry, but you're going to have to rampage as much as you need!"

"Return, Herdier," Lenora says, recalling her Pokemon. She then sends out her next one, Watchog. "This will be a much harder challenge."

"Doesn't matter; we're gonna plow through anything you throw in our path! Date, Water Gun!" Date fires at Watchog.

"Dodge and use Crunch!" Watchog ducks under the water and dashes at Date, biting hard on its waist.

"Shake it off! Razor Shell!" Date smacks Watchog off with its shell and then forms a blade of water. It swings, but Watchog evades it. "Use Razor Shell one more time!"

Date instead uses Water Gun and hits Watchog in the face. It then moves in to tackle it. "Watchog, Hypnosis!"

A purple ray wave flows towards Date, causing it to become sleeping. "Date!"

"You really need to get your Pokemon to listen," Lenora says to him. "Retaliate!"

Watchog dashes at Date, and punches it hard. Date faints. "Date!"

"Oshawott has fainted; Watchog wins. The winner of this battle is Lenora!" Hawes says.

"Date, are you okay?" Black asks as he lifts his Pokemon up in his arms. He grits his teeth angrily, saying, "Damn... Who knew how strong she was..."

"I can't say that was a great match, but it wasn't the most horrible," she says to him, retrieving her Pokemon. "I await your rematch!"

"Right," Black replies, his enthusiasm earlier gone. Black walks back up the steps, moving by Elesa and Lucas.

Outside Black takes his Pokemon to the center and gets them healed. Now he's sitting in the cafeteria with his face laying beside a plate of shrimp scampi. Elesa sits at his left, asking, "What's wrong? Are you upset because you lost?"

"Of course he is. No one likes to lose at anything!" Lucas says to her, sitting at his right.

"It's not just that; I've been in a battle once that I couldn't win through, although it was a tie," Black tells them.

"A tie and a loss aren't really the same though; sure you don't win either, but you still had a chance," Lucas adds.

"It's just, I wasn't able to bring out Date and Dovely's full power. I held them back, and I didn't even bother training them properly... I just battled her without preparations!" Black states. "Even worse, they got hurt because of me."

Elesa wiggles her lips about thinking about his words. Before Lucas could respond she stands up and says, "Then that's all you need to do! Let's train your Pokemon!"

"Huh?" Lucas exclaims.

"That sounds like something Lucas would say..." Black says, knowing his trainer would say that exact thing. He sighs and raises his head. "I'll try it. I'll make my team so strong they won't get hurt like that anymore!"

With this in his mind Black finishes his meal, and heads outside of Nacrene by the outer region of Pinwheel forest. Bringing out Date and Lillipup, he begins his training battling against other wild Pokemon. 'My mistake was not training them and relying on luck. I have to bring out their true strength!'

Lucas and Elesa watch as Black trains his Pokemon. This continues for three hours, until nighttime rolls by. By now Lillipup has already learned a new move. "That should be enough. Let's get going before it's too late!"

"We'll challenge the gym tomorrow; it's getting late. Let's go!" Lucas says to him.

Black, Date and Lillipup head back to join them. Before they could reach them Liilipup glows bright blue. Black stares at his Pokemon in shock, as energy swirls around it. Date, Lucas and Elesa could see this happening, shocked that it happened now. "This is..."

The Next Morning...

"The rematch between Gym Leader Lenora and the challenger Hilbert of Nuvema Town will begin," Hawes says. Both Lenora and Black are back underneath the gym. "Both trainers will only use two Pokemon. Begin!"

"I hope you're much stronger this time. Go, Herdier!" Lenora sends out Herdier.

'I figured as much.' "Go, Date!" Black sends out his starter.

"Herdier, Retaliate!" Herdier charges at Date, prepared to attack.

"Dodge and use Water Sport!" Date jumps to the side and squirts water in the air, like a faucet. Herdier slips on the water trying to face Date. "Water Gun at its face!"

Herdier takes the water attack to the face. "Herdier, return!"

Lenora reclaims her Pokemon, and sends out Watchog. "It's easier to move along slippery surfaces with two legs, isn't that right?"

"You read my mind; Date, return!" Black calls back his Pokemon. He then sends out his next Pokemon, Herdier. It glares at Watchog, intimidating it. "Herdier, splash around in the water."

Herdier listens and begins to splash around, getting its fur wet. "I have a good idea of what you're planning, but you won't get the chance! Watchog, Hypnosis!"

"Shake the water off!" Herdier begins to shake all about, releasing water that splashes and temporarily blinds Watchog. "Take Down!"

Herdier runs at Watchog full speed, and strikes Watchog. After suffering recoil damage, Herdier growls and stares at Watchog. Elesa says, "That's amazing. He got in a good hit just like that."

"Yeah. He took advantage of Water Sport to get passed that hypnosis. Not bad," Lucas says, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I see. He used Water Sport to trick me into changing Pokemon too. Pretty sneaky," Lenora says, figuring out his strategy. "Watchog, Crunch!"

Watchog leaps at Herdier and bites on its tail. "Bite its tail and use Take Down at the wall!"

Herdier nods and bites onto Watchog's tail. It then charges at the wall, crashing and busting a hole. Watchog and Herdier appear from the smoke having fainted. "Watchog and Herdier both cannot battle. Double knock out!"

"So, you defeated Watchog. Too bad Herdier won't go down so easily," she says as she calls back her Pokemon. Black does the same, and they both send out Herdier and Date.

"Date, use Razor Shell!" Date charges in with his scalchop, ready to cut the dog down.

"Herdier, Take Down!" Herdier charges back, but Date jumps in the air at a speed the dog couldn't track. He then swings down, slashing its water blade down at Herdier. "Retaliate!"

"Razor Shell one more time!" Date lands and turns around, seeing Herdier coming right at him. Using all his speed, he passes right by him, slashing as he moves aside. Herdier falls to the ground from the hit, having fainted.

"Herdier is unable to battle; Oshawott wins! The winner of this battle is Hilbert of Nuvema Town!" Hawes says, holding his hand out to Black.

"...We won... We won!" Black shouts, jumping up in the air. Date smiles and jumps up too. It then begins to glow. "Eh?"

"It's evolving?" Elesa says in shock. Oshawott growls taller and gains more whiskers. It stops glowing, becoming Dewott.

"Date evolved!" Black scans Dewott with his Pokedex. "Dewott, the Discipline Pokemon; Strict training is how it learns its flowing double-swordsmanship techniques. Sword wielding is different for each Dewott."

"He's getting better..." Lucas says. Black and Lenora retrieve their Pokemon.

"That was a great match. You definitely deserve this badge now," Lenora says, handing Black the Basic Badge.

"Thanks. You don't know how much this means to me," Black says, taking the badge and placing it in his case. "This makes me that much closer at becoming a good trainer."

"Director!" A lady shouts, coming down to the basement. "Team Plasma is threatening to steal some bones!"

"What?" Lenora runs up the stairs. Lucas and the others follow after. "You guys come too!"

The trio follow after Lenora up the stairs. After leaving the library they head to the front, where Team Plasma members are running off with the skull of the dragon skeleton in the middle of the room. "Damn! They got away!"

"What happened?" Elesa asks Lenora.

"Team Plasma stole the skull! I'm going to go after them!" Lenora says as she heads outside. The trio follows her. Outside Black and the others find Lenora standing beside a brown haired man. "Good day Lenora. Find any good fossils lately?"

"Burgh huh? Having more writer's block?" Lenora asks him.

"Ah, Burgh. I'm surprised to see you're here," Elesa says as she joins the two.

"Who?" Black looks up at Burgh.

"Burgh may not look like it, but he's Castelia's Gym Leader," Elesa tells him.

"You've got some nerve saying that... Anyway, what's going on? Things seems to be hectic around here," Burgh says, noting Team Plasma.

"Someone stole an exhibit! Did you see where they went?" Lenora says, asking him if he saw anything.

"Ah, Black!" Bianca and Cheren can be seen walking up to them.

"Bianca? Cheren? What are you guys doing here?" Black asks his two friends.

"Are these your friends?" Lenora asks him.

"Yeah. That's Bianca, and he's Cheren. We're all trainers," he tells her.

"I see." Lenora walks over to them and says, "We might need your help. Team Plasma has stolen an exhibit and we might need to split up. I need you two to guard the museum."

"Team Plasma? Right then!" Bianca says, her enthusiasm raised when she hears their names. After all she can't forgive them for what they did to that poor girl from before.

"Fine. All we gotta do is guard the museum, right?" Cheren asks.

"Black, Burgh and Lucas can go check Pinwheel Forest. Me and Elesa will go this way," Lenora says, heading east.

"Be careful Hilbert," Elesa says to him, following after Lenora.

"Right. Let's go catch some robbers!" Lucas says as he, Burgh and Black go off to Pinwheel Forest.

"Wait, I still have to heal my team! You guys hurry off without me," Black says, running to the Pokemon center.

"We'll meet up inside the forest!" Lucas and Burgh head west to the forest.

At Pinwheel Forest...

Lucas and Burgh enter Pinwheel forest in search of Team Plasma. After asking around some trainers did spot them entering through. The two come before a crossroad. Burgh suggests, "I'll check this pathway. You go through the longer path."

"Sure," Lucas agrees, heading off into the dark region of the forest. A few minutes of running he realizes something and shouts, "Wait, what?"

"Excuse me, sir?" A beautiful voice asks. Lucas looks up and spots someone sitting up in a tree. He couldn't see much of her because of the outfit she had, and the hood over her head, but the long green hair braided to look like Unohana couldn't help but remind him of Cheryl. "Is there something wrong?"

"Uh, isn't it dangerous to be up there?" Lucas asks her.

"Not if you know how to get down-" she says with a smile. It immediately turns into a frown and she says,"-Which I don't."

"Jump down. I'll catch you!" he says, reaching his arms out to catch her. 'This seems familiar...'

She jumps down, landing on top of him. He manages to stand his ground and keep himself up. She blushes and moves off of him. "Thanks."

"Why were you up in the tree anyway?" he asks her.

"A Tranquill stole something from me. I had to retrieve it," she says, looking around for the bird Pokemon.

"Okay. Well, take care," he says to her, running off to his task at hand. 'She didn't recognize me... I guess she wasn't Cheryl at all.'

Lucas continues walking through the forest, following after Team Plasma. His search leads him to a clearing, where he spots one of them carrying the dragon skull. "You!"

"Aw shit!" he complains when he spots Lucas. He sends out Patrat. "Attack with Bite!"

Lucas holds up a defensive stance. 'Damn; I promised not to use my Aura powers on Pokemon smaller than me. But this is for self defense, so I guess I have no choice."

"Hana, Razor Leaf!" A Net Ball flies through the air, and out from it pops a Sewaddle. It whips its head, releasing sharpened leaves that repel Patrat. Lucas turns around and spots Black coming up to him. "Hey, how's it going?"

"When did you get that pokemon?" Lucas asks him.

"Caught it on the way here," Black tells him.

"I'll take you on!" The grunt shouts, his Patrat standing before him.

"Hana, String Shot!" Hana shoots a sticky thread from its mouth at Patrat, tying up the rat. "Now use Razor Leaf!"

Hana attacks, knocking Patrat out. The grunt retrieves his Pokemon and sends out another, Sandile. "Sandile, Sand Tomb!"

Sand rises up from the dirt, trapping the caterpillar. "Use String Shot to escape!"

Hana spits a thread at a tree, and pulls itself out from the sand twister. "Razor Leaf!"

Hana then fires off its leaves. "Dig!"

Sandile digs underground and avoids the attack. Black takes out the Net Ball and retrieves Hana. He then sends out Date. "Date, Use Water Sport!"

Date sprinkles the ground with water, softening the soil. This allows Date to easily track his movements. Sandile rises up from the ground, ready to attack the sea otter. "Water Gun!"

Date forms water around its mouth, but instead of a stream of water he fires a ball. It splashes Sandile, knocking it out. "That was Water Pulse..."

"Damn!" The grunt retrieves his Pokemon. He then tosses over the dragon skull, Lucas catching it. "So the dream our king had, the dream we had, won't come true..."

"How are you holding, fellow subject of the king?" A man speaks. Out from the trees walks an elder in garbs, just like Ghetsis.

"Seven Sage Gorm! I'm sorry!" The grunt says, bowing to him. "The skull we went through so much trouble to obtain was stolen from us."

"That is of no consequence..." he says. "It wasn't the artifact we were searching for. It is completely unrelated to the Legendary Pokemon."

"Legendary Pokemon?" Lucas asks questionably.

"But we cannot allow anyone to interfere with us anymore," Gorm says, turning to Black and Date. "I will make sure you never bug us again."

"That's far enough!" Burgh calls out. He, Lenora and Elesa walk up to them through a large, hallowed tree trunk. "We've picked up an important looking person."

"Just who are you suppose to be?" Lenora questions him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Black asks them.

"We couldn't find anything in the other direction, so we came here to find you," Elesa says, standing beside Black.

"I am one of the Seven Sages of Plasma. Ghetsis is one of them too. The remainder of us have ordered their compatriots to take Pokemon by full force!" Gorm says to them. "But it seems the odds are against us now, what with one of the extinct Aura Guardians and three of Unova's gym leaders here to stop us."

"Aura Guardian?" Lenora and Burgh speak in unison. Their eyes go to Black and Lucas, who they could only assume is either.

"However, we will not tolerate any further obstruction for either of you, especially you," Gorm says, glaring at Lucas at that last part. He throws a smoke bomb to the ground, causing them all to choke. As the smoke clears, Gorm and the grunt have run off.

"They're gone," Elesa says.

"So what now? Burgh?" Lenora asks, turning to the brown haired leader.

"We got back the stolen skull. If we chase them we could end up failing," he says, leaving east. "I'll wait for you at Castelia Gym, Black."

"Sure thing!" Black replies, retrieving Date.

"Here you go," Lucas says, handing Lenora the dragon skull.

"Thank you boys. Good luck in your journey," she says, taking the skull and leaving for Nacrene.

"Let's head to the paved path. We can reach Skyarrow Bridge from there to Castelia," Elesa says, following after Burgh's path. Lucas and Black follow her.

Once they exit Pinwheel Forest they are brought to a bridge. Not just any bridge, but a huge one! It reaches all the way to the central area of Unova from this forest and the entire southeast island that Black lives on. Hilbert himself can't believe how big it is, and he and Lucas shout, "IT'S HUGE!"

"If we walk we can reach Castelia by nightfall," Elesa says, and they prepare to cross it.

Back In Pinwheel Forest...

"Gotcha!" The green haired woman shouts, spotting a specific Tranquill flying into a tree. She jumps onto the tree and climbs up it, scaring it off. As the bird squawks while escaping, she says, "Sorry," and continues climbing the tree. She looks into its nest and spots a black stone. This is the same black stone that was in the museum.

"Perfect! Now everything can go as father planned," she says, placing the stone in her bag. A beeping goes off on her left wrist. She lifts her arm up and her green Xtransceiver turns on. "Hello?"

On the other end, Ghetsis appears. "Have you found the stone?"

"Yes. It was in the museum all along. Gorm's grunt did a great job distracting Lenora and the gym leaders," she says to him. She pulls down her hood, and she is revealed to indeed be Cheryl. The years she's been away from Lucas hasn't changed her appearance at all, although she now wears a band over her head that has a faint magenta glow from a gem on her forehead.

"Good work my dear daughter. We have plenty of work to do. All you have to do for now is keep an eye on N and that stone, Cheryl Harmonia."

Back with Black and the others they have finally crossed Skyarrow Bridge, and like Elesa predicted it's night time. Lucas spots the pokemon center not too far away, and they walk to it. After booking a room and eating dinner, they prepare to head for bed. Black stays up for a while though and changes his Pokemon a bit. He now has Date, Hana, Dovely, and Herdier.

"Time for bed," he says, yawning while prepared to go to his room. Before he does he meets a postal man standing before him.

"Good evening. Are you Hilbert Hakumei?" he asks him.

"Uh, yeah?" Hilbert says, answering him. "Who are you?"

"I'm a delivery man. I was sent to give you this," he says, handing him a pass.

"A pass for Liberty Garden? Who sent this?" he asks him.

"...I actually can't remember... It was an adult woman who had a perfect description of you," he says to him. He then tips his hat and walks off, leaving him behind. "Have a good evening."

"Uh, sure..." he says to him, watching the man leave. "...Huh... I wonder who sent this?"

The mystery of the pass continues to plague his as he heads to his room. He gets into bed adjacent to Lucas, falling asleep. Elesa sleeps in a third bed, perpendicular to them.

The Next Morning...

"Man, that was a great breakfast!" Black says as he leans back after sipping a latte. "What is this anyway?"

"It's a mocha latte, that's an expresso coffee with milk," Elesa says as she drinks hers. Lucas puts his down, unable to drink it. She notices this and asks, "What's the matter?"

"It's nothing; just a bad dream," Lucas says, taking a tiny sip. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, first off I wanna train a little bit before I face the Burgh gym!" Black says before he takes a long sip of his latte. "But it's a big city; we can do other things before that."

"Yeah. I can show you around. Let's go," Elesa says, finishing her latte and grabbing hold of Black's hand. Lucas watches as they leave, sighing as he's reminded of his girlfriend.

Black and Elesa walk through Castelia City, heading south west out of pure instinct. Along the way they snag a Casteliacone, which is surprisingly tastier than they figured. Black soon stumbles upon a building where a lady is giving out massages to Pokemon, so he lets her work on Hana. Afterward they end up at a pier, glancing out at the vast sea. Side by side they look out to the sea.

"This was kind of fun. I've completely forgotten about Team Plasma with all this..." Black says to her. Elesa smiles, hearing his kind words. "Hey, what kind of Pokemon do you use in battle?"

"I'll tell you after you defeat Burgh," she says to him. Elesa then licks her cone, the delicious taste bringing a delightful 'mm' out of her mouth.

"'After?' You're really confident I could beat him?" Black asks her in shock. He licks his cone as well, but some of the frosting got on his nose. Elesa laughs at that.

"That means you'll only get to know, after you defeat Burgh," Elesa tells him in a taunting voice. She wipes the cream off his nose with her left hand index finger, and draws an L on his forehead. "If you lose then you'll never find out."

"What? I won't lose! I'll defeat him and then show you how strong I've become!" he says to the blond woman. The two take a moment to stare at one another, and Black starts to blush a bit. Elesa does as well, but it's a little too small for him to notice. "You know, I never noticed how nice your eyes look..."

"Really?"

"Black!" A voice calls out to him. Black lifts his head away from Elesa to see who called for him, and spots White coming towards him. "Ah! How's your journey been going?"

"White? What are you doing here?" Black asks her.

"I'm on a Pokemon journey just like you! Only, I'm not collecting badges," she says to him, smiling at her brother. She then notices Elesa and says, "So, who's she?"

"Oh, she's Elesa. Me and Lucas are escorting her back to Nimbasa City," Black tells her.

"...Who's Lucas?"

"Lucas is my Pokemon adviser. He's helping me become a proper trainer," he says. "He also likes hats, just like me!"

"Oh." White then takes a moment to look at Elesa. She then says, "I'm amazed though at how much fun you're having. You've even got a girlfriend."

"Eh?" Black blushes in shock at that assumption. "No, no, no! She's not my girlfriend! We've only known eachother for a few days!"

Elesa chuckles a little. "You would be the first person to say I'm not your girlfriend though."

"Huh?" Black quickly turns to Elesa, unable to comprehend what she just said. White glares at her and Black, having read between the lines.

"Anyway, I was on my way here when I aw you going to the pier. I heard the pier here that leads to Liberty Garden will be leaving soon and I figured you were going on it, so I followed you here," she says to him, explaining her situation.

"Oh don't worry, I wasn't going. Although, now that you mention it-" Black takes out the Liberty Pass. "-I did get this last night from someone. Maybe it's a good time!"

Black looks around for the ship, which sits right nearby. "...I just noticed this."

"Let's go now!" White says, pushing Elesa and Black to the boat. The guard standing by it looks at them.

"Do you have a pass?" he asks them. Shrugging, Black shows him the Liberty Pass. "Oh good. You're our last passengers!"

The three of them board the ship and it takes off, heading to Liberty Garden, an island away from Castelia and the land of Unova itself. It doesn't take long though; only two hours to reach the island. Black and the girls exit the ship first, amongst a few other guests. When they reach the island Black hears murmurs.

"That Team Plasma goes too far!"

"They sure do terrible things!"

"Making my grandchild die! if they are underestimating me because I'm old... Grrr!"

Black and the girls leave the crowd of murmuring citizens until they find an officer. Elesa asks, "Sir, what's going on?"

"This officer's Pokemon couldn't stand up to them! Damn Team Plasma!" he shouts, walking off in a grumpy tone.

"...Team Plasma?" Elesa asks.

"Team Plasma..." Black agrees, turning his head left to look around. He spots a Team Plasma grunt walking by a lamppost. "Hey you!"

The grunt turns to Black and says, "Stay back or be pummeled!"

He sends out a Patrat. "Hana, Razor Leaf!"

He sends out Sewaddle, and its Razor Leaf lands a critical blow that one shots Patrat. "What the hell?"

"Now, tell us what's going on!" Black shouts, running up to him and grabbing hold of his collar. "What's going on?"

He sighs, knowing when he's beaten. "In the basement of the lighthouse built over 200 years ago, a mythical Pokemon called Victini was sleeping. We're here to capture it!"

"Is that it?" Black pushes him back, and picks up Hana. "Let's head to the Lighthouse then!"

"Are we gonna protect this Pokemon?" Elesa asks him.

"Of course. I'm not just gonna let them hurt Victini! I'll help it even if I have to capture it!" He states proudly. White glances at her brother with awe.

'When did he get so mature?'

"Let's get moving then!" Elesa says, clenching her left fist tightly. They head for the lighthouse, where a Team Plasma grunt stands in their way.

"I got this. You guys go ahead. Go, Venipede!" White sends out her Pokemon.

"Sandile!" The grunt retaliates with Sandile. While they battle, Black and Elesa pass them by and enter the lighthouse. They head down the steps to the basement, moving by an injured officer.

"Are you okay?" Elesa asks him.

"I'll be fine, but Victini's in danger!" he tells them. In the room up ahead!"

"Alright!" Black and Elesa head down the stairs further to the basement. Standing in their way is another grunt.

"The Victini on this island creates limitless energy!" This grunt sends out a Patrat.

"Hana, use String Shot!" Hana jumps out of his arms and uses String Shot, capturing the grunt and his Pokemon together against a wall. "Let's go!"

Black and Elesa, and Hana who climbs up to Black's head, run into the basement room. inside they see it's no different than the room of a human child. There stands one last grunt, standing before a red fox-like Pokemon. He growls at them, saying, "The one who obtains this Pokemon is said to be victorious in any type of competition... This power will make us invincible! That's the value of this mythical Pokemon, Victini!"

"What is all this?" Black asks.

"It's a secret room meant to hide Victini, isn't it?" Elesa says.

"Two hundred years ago, a certain rich person bought this entire island and hid Victini in this place. After that, no one saw Victini and it became a mythical Pokemon." The grunt walks towards Black, holding up a Pokeball. "We of Plasma will liberate Victini from this room and use its powers to make our goal a reality!

"A brat like you won't get in our way!" He sends out his Pokemon, Watchog.

"Go, Date!" Black sends out Date.

"Confuse Ray!" Watchog releases bright balls of light that flash before his eyes. Date becomes confused, unable to tell where anything is.

"Date!" 'Damn. I didn't expect Watchog...' Date stumbles about, eventually falling on his behind.

"Crunch!" Watchog lunges at Date, biting hard on his skull.

"Date! Water Pulse!" Date opens its mouth and fires Water Pulse at Watchog, knocking it off of him. "Razor Shell!"

Date grabs his scalchop and swings wildly, missing Watchog. Victini watches the battle with interest. "Low Kick!"

Watchog sweep kicks Date, knocking him flat on his face. "Date, return!"

Black retrieves his Pokemon, and then sends out Hana. "Confuse Ray!"

"Get away with String Shot!" Hana fires a thread up to the ceiling and pulling itself up, avoiding the balls of light. "Razor Leaf!"

Hana let's go and fires sharp leaves to batter Watchog. "Tackle!"

Hana tackles Watchog, knocking it out for the count. "I... I failed to achieve victory..."

"Alright!" Black shouts, glad his Pokemon managed to pull through. Suddenly, Hana begins glowing, just like Lillipup and Date did just before they evolved. The glowing stops, revealing Hana the Sewaddle has turned into Swadloon. "Swadloon, huh?"

He scans his new Pokemon. "Swadloon, the Leaf-Wrapped Pokemon; It protects itself from the cold by wrapping itself up in leaves. It's stays on the move, eating leaves from the forest it lives in."

"It seems I wildly underestimated you. But Victini won't be so simple! Look!" The grunt says, gesturing to the fox. "It's waiting to test your strength. You'd better get ready if you want to catch it!"

"I don't need a special Pokemon just so I'll have good luck with each of my battles!" Black says, turning to look at the victory giving Pokemon. He holds his Pokedex out to it. "Victini, the Victory Pokemon; Victini creates an unlimited energy within its body, which it shares with others it touches. It is said the trainer who owns it always wins, regardless of the type of encounter."

"But I did say I wouldn't let Team Plasma harm Victini. So, I'll let him decide what he wants," Black walks over to the Pokemon. "Victini, would you like to stay here, or come with me?"

Victini blinks a few times, and his V hair twitches a bit. He then grins and headbutts Black, knocking him painfully back on his behind. He then makes a fighting stance. Black picks himself back up, as Elesa helps him to his feet. "I think he wants to test you first."

"Yeah, I figured as much... Let's go, Date!" Black sends out his star, Date. Having recovered from confusion it's now able to see properly. "Date, Water Pulse!"

Date fires at Victini, but the attack stops in mid air while surrounded by a pink energy. It then flies back at Date, blasting him. Elesa comments, "That was Confusion!"

Victini opens its mouth and breaths flames at Date, who covers himself with his arms. "Now it's Incinerate."

"Drop out of the flames and throw the Scalchop at him!" Black says to him. Date moves out of Incinerate and throws one of his shells, causing Victini to dodge. "Now, use Water Pulse!"

Date fires at Victini again, knocking him down. Seeing a chance Black throws a Great Ball. Victini gets hit and is captured inside. Although, for a few seconds it shakes, Victini breaks free. "Damn it!"

* * *

Yusei: This chapter is coming to an end. Next time Ghetsis meets Lucas in person, and Black battles against Burgh.

Manabu: This looks bad.


	4. Chapter 4

_**The Grey Adventure**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Kenshin: Welcome to another chapter of the Gray Adventure.

Yusei: In this chapter Black challenges Burgh, and Lucas meets Ho-Oh. Oh yeah, Ghetsis returns to steal Bianca's Pokemon.

_**Journal Entry 4: Over Infinity**_

* * *

Lucas places his cup on the table and walks inside the Pokemon center. Inside he sees someone sitting down on the bed. His mouth opens up in gawking fashion as he sees it's Houou. "Houou?"

"Lucas, I'm so glad to see you again!" she says, leaping up at him and kissing the teen on the cheek. "I was worried when I couldn't find you for a year."

"I'm okay. You shouldn't be here though," he tells her, breaking out of her hug. "I've been on my own for more than two years. Why show up now?"

"Well, something happened with Cheryl that I neglected to tell you, and it's something I probably shouldn't say because of Arceus," she says, crossing her arms under her chest. "Arceus is really bitter at what humanity did, so she made you take this quest; well, the thing is, she also erased you."

"...Huh?"

"Everyone who knows you doesn't anymore. You've been erased from their memories," she says, shocking the Sinnoh champion.

"What? Even Cheryl?" he asks.

"Especially Cheryl," she replies, turning around with a sad look in her face. "I didn't think she would go so far; I only kept quiet about it because we were on good terms, but now her hatred has made things worse."

"Why? What happened to Cheryl?" he asks her, now worried for her.

...

Victini uses Confusion and sends Date to the ceiling, and he falls down flat on his face. "Date, don't give up! Use Water Gun!"

Date fires at Victini, who jumps out of the way. He then uses Incinerate, setting the sea otter on fire. Victini then comes in for a headbutt. Black smirks silently and holds out his Pokeball. "Return!"

He retrieves his Pokemon, causing Date to hit the wall. "I got you now! Go, Premier Ball!"

Black sends out a Premier Ball, one he got while shopping one day. It captures Victini and falls. The ball shakes for a little while, causing suspense between the humans, and it clicks shut. Black walks over to the ball and picks it up, shouting, "Alright! I caught Victini!"

"You did it!" Elesa says with the same enthusiasm as him. She stops and fixes her posture, blushing out of embarrassment.

"So you caught him..." The grunt says. The two trainers turn back to him. "Living with Victini means accepting its cruel destiny... Someday we will test you to see if you are truly ready for that."

"Whether it's destiny or because someone's been playing around with my life, I won't be fooled. I'll press on with my own two feet!" Black says to him, pointing the same hand holding Victini's ball at him.

The grunt runs off, leaving Black and Elesa behind. Black walks to the exit, Elesa following him. As they walk she asks, "So, what nickname will you give Victini?"

"...Well, his power is infinite, and he'll definitely be a powerful teammate, so I think Zeros will be best!" Black's name for Victini brings a confused look on her face. Elesa thinks about it a little more, and sighs.

"You really are a Kamen Rider fan, are you?" she asks him, smiling at the teen. He pouts a bit, looking away.

"What? It's the perfect name! Either that or Eternal," he replies.

"Such a child," Elesa says, and they finally go out the door. Outside Team Plasma is being arrested and dragged off. They walk by some other guards, and Professor Juniper. "Professor Juniper?"

"Ah, Black and Elesa! I never would have guessed you'd take a shine to him," she says, smiling and winking at her. Black and Elesa blushes, looking away from eachother.

"D-Don't be ridiculous. We don't know much about eachother for that," elesa says.

"Anyway, thank you two. This group that was up to no good has been captured!" Juniper tells them, walking towards Black. "Black, you have captured Victini, haven't you?"

"Yeah." His words bring a sad look on her face. "Victini is said to have an infinite energy inside of him, right?"

"When Pokemon or humans come into contact with that energy, it fills up their bodies, and they exhibit more power than usual," Juniper says to him. "That led to the never ending amount of people who wanted to misuse Victini. I believe the man who built this place wanted to protect it, but locking it away wasn't the right thing to do."

"But now, Victini has a new destiny that won't involve being used by Team Plasma," Elesa says, turning to the black protagonist.

"Yeah. Keeping Zeros away from Team Plasma is my duty," he says, pounding his chest confidently.

"Professor!" A guard comes up to her, panting from running. "We've cornered the crooks! We'll take the helicopter back to Castelia!"

"Thank you! I'll be right there!" she says, and the guards go off ahead of her. She turns back to Black and says, "When some people encounter a Pokemon's astounding abilities that tends to lead them astray; it's hard to believe... But only someone who approaches Pokemon with a good heart can make a brighter future!

"Good luck!" With those words she leaves, heading for the copter back to Castelia City.

"Hilbert! Elesa!" White calls out, running up to them. "So, how did it go?"

"Where did you go?" Hilbert asks her.

"When you guys went in Professor Juniper came. Since I had won my battle I let her take over, so I went to the bathroom," she says, adjusting her short shorts.

"We should head back too," Elesa says to him, taking his left hand and walking to the boat. Black blushes a bit as he feels her warmth.

Back In Castelia City...

"Why did she do that?" Lucas shouts as he walks up a sidewalk. "Why?"

_"Without you in her memories she lost the confidence you gave her, and went back to her job at the flower shop. She then met N and joined Team Plasma, coming to Unova." The words she told him have shocked Lucas to the core. He falls backwards, landing on his behind._

_"What? Cheryl would never join a gang of criminals, even if she lost her confidence!" he shouts at her. He wouldn't have minded as much if she worked for the flower shop, but this is worst than anything he could imagine. Team Plasma are up to no good, just like Rocket and Galactic._

_"It happened... I'm sorry. I never meant for any of this to happen!" she says to him, bowing down to him._

_"What can I do? Should I try and find her?" he asks, standing up on his feet._

_"That won't do anything. If you go and talk to her she won't remember you. You'll have to wait until the time limit is passed, and she remembers you."_

"I still have four months... Well, at least Cheryl hasn't gotten another boyfriend yet," Lucas says, trying to remain hopeful. But when the thought of her being with someone else enters his mind he feels a stinging pain in his heart. "No! I can't let that get to me!"

As he walks he goes by the Castelia gym, and spots Cheren walking out. "Cheren?"

"Hey, it's you... I just won my next badge," he says, holding up his new badge. "He made me work for that gym badge; he's a seasoned gym leader. But, bug types can't stand against me."

"...right..." Lucas says as Cheren leaves. Once he's out of sight, Lucas prepares to leave. But that's when Burgh comes out, and spots the trainer. "Burgh, right?"

"Yeah... You were that guy... Lucas!" he says, finally remembering his name. "Actually, I'm glad you're here. I was informed that Team Plasma has shown up!"

"They have?" Lucas says, turning around to him. His mind then replays what he remembers Houou telling him about Cheryl. 'If Cheryl is a part of Team Plasma, then all I have to do is stop them. "Fine, let's go."

"They're at Prime Pier!" Burgh heads south towards the piers, leaving Lucas to follow. They head down to the pier second nearest the exit to the Skyarrow Bridge. There Bianca and a dark skinned kid are both standing there.

"Bianca?" Lucas approaches her. She looks up at him, tears in her eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"They... they... They took Munna from me!" Bianca cries out, clenching her fists tightly.

"What? You mean Team Plasma?" he asks her.

"I heard her scream and ran after the thief as fast as I could," the other girl says. "But this city's so big and crowded, I'm afraid I lost them."

"It's okay Iris. You did everything you could," Burgh says to her.

"I can't forgive this though! Taking Pokemon from people is terrible! Because it's really nice when people and pokemon are together!" Iris shouts, gritting her teeth angrily.

"Agreed!" Burgh adds.

"Don't worry. We'll get Munna back," Lucas says, placing his hands on Bianca's shoulders. "I swear it."

"Lucas..."

"Having said that though-" Burgh says, placing his left hand up to his chin and thinking. "-Finding a specific person or even a pokemon here in Castelia is like finding Waldo; not easy without a clue."

As they begin to think of a way to find them, a Team Plasma grunt spots them. Bianca notices him and shouts, "There he is!"

The other three lift their heads and spot the grunt, who backs away suddenly. "Uh oh... I spy a gym leader... Thinking... Run!"

"Hey, wait!" Lucas runs after the grunt, who bolts at high speed. Seeing he might lose him, Lucas forms an Aura Sphere and tosses it at the ground, having it bowl over towards the grunt. His legs get struck and he falls to the ground. Lucas then grabs him and lifts the grunt up. "Alright, fess up! Where's the Pokemon you stole?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Lucas holds up a miniature Aura Sphere to his face, scaring the man. "Alright! It's in building one eight!"

"Where's that?" Lucas asks him. Burgh places a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I know where that is," Burgh says to him. Lucas drops the grunt, who runs away. He turns back to Iris and says, "Iris, look after Bianca. We'll go get back Munna!"

"Okay!" Lucas and Burgh head for the building, the bug user leading the way. Burgh leads him to the right building. Lucas takes to notice that it's right in front of the Gym.

"This it?" Lucas asks him.

"Yeah," he replies, preparing to go inside.

"Hey!" Lucas turns around and spots Iris and Bianca behind them. "We couldn't sit around. Sorry."

"Team Plasma is inside," Burgh says to the girls.

"This time, I'm going to help too!" Iris says, and she goes in. Burgh and Bianca go in along with her, while Lucas follows her.

Inside the four trainers find three Plasma grunts. They seem to be guarding two of the Seven Sages and Ghetsis. His eyes glare at Lucas, and after regaining his composure he says, "My word, if it isn't the gym leader, Burgh."

"...So, what would you say is the guiding principle of Team Plasma, anyway? 'Take what you want from people'?" Burgh shouts at him.

The Sage on his right says, "I thought it would be amusing to prepare a hideout right in front of a Pokemon gym, but we were detected quicker than I imagined."

"It's no problem, Bronius. We already have an exceptional base of operations," Ghetsis says to him. "Now, is everyone familiar with the legend of the founding of the Unova region?"

"About Reshiram?" Iris asks, now interested.

"Who?" Lucas asks her. He hasn't heard that name before.

"The truth is, the white dragon Reshiram appeared before a hero who sought the true way to knit together a world full of warring people," Ghetsis says, taking a step forward. "This white dragon shared its knowledge, and bared its fangs at those who stood against it. Together the power of the Pokemon and the hero brought unity to the hearts of everyone in the land; that is how Unova was created.

"We shall bring back the hero and that Pokemon to Unova once again! With them together we can easily create the world that I-I mean, Team Plasma, desires!" Ghetsis says, quickly hiding that slip of the tongue before stepping back. Lucas caught it though; why wouldn't he? He knows better after dealing with the other two groups.

"Here in Castelia, we have a lot of different kinds of people," Burgh says to him. "Everyone's ways of thinking and lifestyles are very different. Honestly, there's something about what you're saying I don't quite understand."

"Huh?" Bronius mutters.

"We both care allot about Pokemon, all of us. Even people meeting for the first time can talk about Pokemon. Battle, trade or even just talking..." Burgh takes a step forward. "Your speech back in Accumula Town... You were responsible for leading me to rethink my relationship with Pokemon... I thank you for that... Afterwards I promised myself I would dedicate myself to Pokemon even more strongly!

"What you guys are doing; are you going to strengthen the bonds between people and Pokemon even more?"

At the end of his speech Ghetsis remains silent for a while. He then laughs, saying, "You're quite hard to figure out; I never expected such an intelligent answer. Since I like smart people, I will say this; from every corner of the globe, I have gathered knowledgeable people for our king's benefit. You could call them the Seven Sages.

"But I'm talking too much, so here's us submitting to your opinion... Return her Pokemon!" Ghetsis's demand to the grunt on his left shocks her, forcing the female grunt to taking out a Pokemon and sending out Munna.

Bianca's eyes widen and she shouts, "Munna!"

Munna spots her trainer and flies towards Bianca, who hugs the psychic type. The grunt hands over the ball as well. Bianca catches it, saying, "Thank you!"

"Thank you? How can you say that when they stole Munna in the first place?" Iris asks her.

"It's just... I'm... I'm so happy that Munna is safe!" she says, tears falling free down her cheek.

"The friendship between Pokemon and people can be very touching," Ghetsis says, gathering their attention. "But to liberate Pokemon from foolish people, we will revive the legend of Unova, and win the hearts and minds of everyone... Farewell."

"Wait!" Lucas shouts out to them.

A grunt tosses a flash bomb to the ground, and as it dims down they're shown to have escaped. Iris shouts at Burgh, "What are you doing? They got away! What will they do if anything's happened to the other stolen Pokemon?"

"No, it's okay!" Bianca says to her. "No one was hurt. More than anything, I got my darling Pokemon back again!"

"Well..."

"What is everyone planning to do now?" Burgh asks them.

"I'm heading back to the Pokemon center. I want to take a nap," Lucas says, leaving out the building. "Good luck, Bianca."

"Wait. What happened to Hilbert?" Bianca asks him.

"Eh, dunno. He went out with Elesa. I think they're on a date," he replies after stepping through the door. Bianca's eyes go wide in shock when she heard that.

Lucas continues walking towards the Pokemon center, opening his mouth and yawning. "...I didn't get any clues about Cheryl..."

Lucas makes it to the Pokemon center, and sees Black with White and Elesa. Black notices him and says, "Hey, Lucas! Where did you go?"

"I was busy fighting with Plasma," he replies, sitting down at their table.

"Again?" Black asks, shocked to hear about them again. "We just fought them on Liberty Garden. I caught a new friend!"

"Well that's great. These guys stole Bianca's Munna, but we cornered them and they gave her back," Lucas says, explaining his day.

"Oh good..." Black says, glad that she's okay. "I guess now I can go challenge Burgh for his badge."

"...Oh yeah..." Lucas says, standing back up. Black stands up and stretches out his left arm. Lucas notices White and asks," Who's she?"

"That's my sister Hilda, or White. We're identical twins," he says, standing beside her. Lucas takes a moment to look, and smiles.

"Nice to meet you. Are you single?" she says, leaning forward and approaching the dark haired trainer.

"Nope..." His immediate response causes her to fall out of her seat.

"Let's go!" Black says, heading towards the gym. He turns on the Xtransceiver to lead him.

"I would like to go too. It's always enjoyable to watch Black battle," Elesa says, smiling as she follows him. Lucas sighs with a satisfied grin and follows him to the gym. White picks herself up and goes after them.

Black reaches the gym and enters inside. He finds that some of the walls are plastered with honey; the one wall in front of him is even made of honey! Lucas enters inside and gawks. "Cheryl would have loved to be here."

"So... What do I have to do?" Black asks as he touches the wall made of honey.

"You have to pass through the walls of honey and find Burgh," Elesa says as he walks inside with White.

"Eh?"

"Let's go." Lucas pushes Black through the wall of honey. After they go through, Lucas and Black check their clothes and see that there's no honey stuck on them. "See? No problem."

"Whatever..." Black heads further into the gym. Elesa and White go through the honey, following them. Black continues his search through the walls of honey, until he and his friends, and sister, reach a set of stairs that leads to a higher platform. Up at the top is Burgh. "Burgh!"

"Thanks again for your help Lucas," Burgh says to him. He then turns to Black and says, "My bug Pokémon are scurrying with excitement about getting to battle you. Lets get straight to it!"

"Right!"

"The gym battle between Hilbert of Nuvema and the Gym Leader Burgh will begin; Both trainers will use..." Elesa begins, refereeing the match. She then turns to Burgh and asks, "How many Pokemon?"

"Three Pokemon. The trainer who defeats all three of the opponent's Pokemon wins," Burgh says.

"Begin!" On Elesa's words, Burgh sends out his first Pokemon; Dwebble.

"Go, Date!" Black sends out his Pokemon. "Water Pulse!"

"Protect!" Date fires at the hermit, who blocks using a protective barrier. "Smack Down!"

Dwebble fires a rock at Date. "Razor Shell!"

Date slashes the rock in two gracefully. "Now, use Water Pulse!"

Date fires at the hermit once again, capturing the Pokemon inside of a prison of water. "Razor Shell!"

Date slashes, splitting the water prison in half and defeating Dwebble. "Dwebble is unable to battle. Dewott wins."

"Way to go Date!" Black says, praising his Pokemon.

"Pretty good. Next up is you!" Burgh reclaims Dwebble and sends out his next Pokemon Whirlipede. Black calls back Date and holds out another Pokeball.

"Let's go, Dovely!" Black sends out his Pokemon Dovely. "Air Cutter!"

"Pursuit!" Whirlipede flings itself at Dovely, moving through the slicing wind. "Steamroller!"

Whirlipede rolls at Dovely, who flies high up to avoid it. "Quick Attack!"

"Poison Tail!" Whirlipede spins sideways, slamming its tail into Dovely's body and knocking it off balance. Dovely regains balance, but suffers a purple shock. "Steamroller!"

Whirlipede rolls and attacks, striking Dovely. The dove Pokemon lands on the ground, suffering from its poison. Black calls back his Pokemon. "Dovely isn't strong enough to stand up to this guy... I'll try him. Go, Zero!"

Black sends out Zeros, who lands before Whirlipede. "Ah, the rumored mythical Pokemon from Liberty Garden."

"Cool..." Lucas mutters.

"Zeros, use Incinerate!" Zeros inhales and breathes flames, lighting Whirlipede on fire.

"Roll out of the flames using Steamroller!" Whirlipede rolls towards Zeros.

"Dodge and headbutt its side!" Zeros dodges the attack and headbutts the left side of the Pokemon, hitting the eye. It loses balance and falls. "Confusion!"

Zeros uses psychic powers to send Whirlipede into the ceiling. It falls to the ground, fainting. Elesa says, "Whirlipede is unable to battle! Black wins!"

"Alright! Way to go, Zeros!" Black cheers.

"Not bad. It's almost time to bug out... But not yet!" Burgh sends out his last Pokemon, after calling back Whirlipede, Leavanny.

"Zeros, use Incinerate!" The flames travel towards Leavanny.

"Protect!" Leavanny blocks using a similar ability to Dwebble. "X-Scissor!"

Leavanny swings, striking Zeros with a double blade cut. Zeros hits the ground, but picks itself back up. "Zeros, use Quick Attack!"

"String Shot!" Leavanny spins out a strong thread, but Zeros evades with speed. IT then tackles, knocking Leavanny off balance.

"Incinerate!" Zeros breathes flames, burning Leavanny(not the status condition though). "That's good; return!"

Black surprisingly returns his Pokemon, something that all four of them didn't expect. "Go, Dovely!"

His next Pokemon is an even bigger surprise; the weakened Dovely returns to the scene. "Dovely, use Air Cutter!"

"Big mistake; Protect!" Leavanny forms a barrier and blocks the attack.

"Quick Attack!" Dovely flies in and attacks Leavanny just as the shield drops. It suffers from poison, but regains its composure. "Roost!"

Dovely lands and restores its energy. Leavanny stands up, ready for battle. "Leavanny, Razor Leaf!"

Leavanny fires several sharp leaves from its hands. "Quick Attack to dodge!"

Dovely uses its feet to run, evading the razor sharp leaves. The poison kicks in, damaging it once more. "Gust!"

Dovely attacks with wind, this time surrounding Leavanny. It lifts the Pokemon up and it falls to the ground. As a super effective hit, Leavanny faints from it. "Leavanny is unable to battle; Dovely wins. The winner of this battle is Hilbert from Nuvema Town!"

"Alright!" Black shouts, happy that his Pokemon made it.

"Aww... I lost. Meh, whatever!" Burgh says as he retrieves his Pokemon Leavanny.

"You really pulled through, Dovely. Great work," Black says to his Pokemon. Dovely nods, before glowing brightly. Knowing what's to come, Black immediately takes out a Pokedex.

Dovely stops glowing, turning into Tranquill. Black scans his Pokemon. "Tranquill, the Wild Pigeon Pokemon; Many people believe that, deep in the forest where Tranquill live, there is a peaceful place where there is no war."

Burgh smirks a little as Black calls back his Pokemon. "Losing to you doesn't bug me at all, because you are a-MAZ-ingly strong! This is the Gym Badge! You beat me, so it's yours!"

Black takes the badge he holds out, lifting it up in the air. He shouts," Yes! I got my third badge!"

"It's the Insect Badge! It's insectible-I mean, incredible! " Burgh says, joining in his enthusiasm.

"Well, I had a good time battling you. Let's go guys!" Black says, placing the badge inside his case. After calling back Tranquill he then heads to his friends and leaves the gym.

After leaving the gym Elesa is about to say something, but Black's Xtransceiver starts beeping. "Huh? Who could that be?"

Black turns it on and sees who's there. Bianca's face appears. "Black!"

"Bianca?" White squeezes her head in to see her best female friend. "It's been a while! Where are you now?"

"I'm just at Route 4. Black, I want you to meet me there. I want to battle you!" she says, racking up Black's battle sense.

"You got it!" Black says, before pushing White off his face.

"Good, then I'll see you there!" The watch turns off.

Black heads towards the Pokemon center. White calls out, "Wait! Route 4 is the other way!"

"He's going to heal his Pokemon at the center," Lucas says to her, causing her to freeze in shock. She actually literally freezes up, encased in a block of ice. She breaks out though like nothing's happened.

"I almost forgot about that..." White mumbles depressed. That's usually the first thing a trainer should after catching, battling, or even training Pokemon.

Elesa follows after Black, sighing as she reminds herself of White's actions. At the center she finds Black has already turned in his Pokemon. She sits by him and smiles, saying, "You seem anxious to battle."

"Of course! Battles help trainers connect with their Pokemon. It also works to connect with trainers too." His response brings a bigger smile to the blond's face, one he notices. "What?"

"I find that part of you to be really cute," she says, prompting him to blush.

"Uh... Thanks... Are you hitting on me?" Black asks, unable to hide his redness.

"Who knows..." she says, leaning beside him closely. "I'm just being honest."

Black takes a moment to lightly push Elesa off of him, and asks her, "Alright, before we can continue I would like to know something."

Elesa remains silent as he speaks. "Do you like me in that way? I mean, do you want to have a relationship?"

"...Okay..." Black's heart stops when she says that, mostly from the shock.

"Eh?"

"I think we can have a relationship," she says, placing a hand on his hat covered head. "Is that okay?"

"You bet!" His response brings a brief look of joy to the shining beauty's face. It's there for a moment, and he spots it, and gone the next.

The beeping up top goes off, indicating that his Pokemon are fully healed. Nurse Joy comes out with a cart and a tray, and Audino beside her. "You're Pokemon are in top form! Please come again!"

"Thanks!" Black takes his Pokeballs from the tray and places them on his belt. 'Atleast she didn't say 'we hope to see you again'. That sounds a little messed up.'

Black joins up with Elesa and exits the center, heading for Route 4. Along the way they run into Lucas and White. Elesa then asks, "So White, what will you do?"

"I think I'll follow you guys. You seem like you're having fun!" she says, holding her hands behind her head and smiling. Elesa smiles a bit, noticing how she's acting just like Black.

"Let's get going then," Black says, heading towards the gate while in the lead.

Lucas sighs as they follow after him, White going first, and is slowly reminded of his own friends and family; he can only imagine what his mother is doing right now, especially since she doesn't remember him.

The quartet walks through the gate, heading for Route 4. From the other side Bianca comes out and waves to him. "Hey! I'm ready for that battl-wah," she begins, but trips over her feet and knocks him off his. Black manages to get up and helps her to her feet, who gains a small blush.

"Wanna try that again?" he asks her.

"Right, sorry; I'm ready for that battle. Let's go!" Bianca says, standing back onto her feet. She takes a few steps back and pulls out a Pokeball. "The new and improved me won't fall behind!"

"Gotcha," Black says, taking out his own ball. Bianca sends out her pokemon Pignite. Black takes out a Pokedex and scans it. "Pignite, the Fire Pig Pokemon: Whatever it eats becomes fuel for the flames in its stomach. When angered the intensity of the flame increases."

Black smirks and sends out his Pokemon, Dewott. Bianca shouts, "Wow! Oshawott evolved!"

"Yeah. Date is ready for this. Use Water Pules!" Date fires a ball of water at the fire pig.

"Angus, dodge and use Flame Charge!" Angus dodges the attack and rushes at Date while engulfed in flames.

"Strike back with Razor Shell!" Date draws both his shells and strikes Angus on the nose, causing him to run off course and strikes the wall.

"Arm Thrust!" Angus rubs his nose and rushes at Date, his speed much better than it used to be. Angus then smacks Date several times with palm thrusts.

"Water Pulse!" Date dives out of the way of a palm thrust, and fires directly at Angus' face. Angus falls backwards to the ground, fainting.

"Ah! Angus!" Bianca runs to her Pokemon, helping him up. "Are you okay?"

"You're definitely getting better Bianca. Using Flame Charge just to increase Angus' speed for Arm Thrust was pretty good," Lucas says, having seen the battle with a watchful eye.

"T-Thanks Lucas," Bianca says, tipping her hat. "I'll probably never be a strong trainer like Black, Cheren or Iris, but ever since I've left Nuvema Town I've become a lot stronger. I've met a lot of people and gotten plenty of insight on what I should do with my life! Pokemon have given me such a different experience... And to have my Pokemon taken from me was really hard... I felt really unsure."

"You what?" Black asks in shock.

"But now I'm glad things happened. I don't regret any part of my adventure! I know being with Pokemon is really, really important!" Her words bring smiles to White and Black's faces. Having known her for the longest they can tell how much she's changed. Bianca retrieves her Pokemon and stands up. "Ok, well I hope to see you guys again soon! Bye Black, White, Lucas, Elesa-san!"

She then takes off, going to Castelia City. Black watches as she leaves, and adjusts his hat. He then calls back Dewott and walks towards the route. White sighs and follows him, whispering to the others, "When did that happen?"

"Team Plasma stole Munna from her, but me and Burgh got her Pokemon back," Lucas says as they continue after Black. Elesa tenses up angrily thinking about them, while White has a huge look of surprise. "I hope I get to see them again..."

The four trainers leave out the gateway, into a desert region. The wind blows fiercely, sand riling all around them. Black spots four trainers having a double battle. "Wow. Things are incredibly lively here!"

"Black, this might be a good time to add an addition to your team," Elesa says to him.

"Why?" Black asks her.

She chuckles a bit. "Because the next gym battle will be me, and I believe you should be prepared."

"...What Pokemon type do you own?" he asks her. Elesa chuckles a bit and touches his nose lightly.

"You'll have to find out. I'll be waiting in Nimbasa City. Bye Black." Before she leaves she places a small kiss on his cheek. Black gawks and blushes at the same time, White's mouth opens wide in shock, and Lucas 'hmphs'. Elesa then walks further along the Route, disappearing in the blowing sand wind.

"So, how long was I gone?" Lucas asks him. Black unfortunately is still under shock. "Black?"

"Hilbert can't take getting a kiss from pretty girls. He's weird like that," White says, patting her brother's back. That pat breaks him out of his shock.

"Huh? Who? What?" Black manages to snap out of it. "What happened?"

"Elesa went on ahead to Nimbasa and you went stone when she kissed your cheek... Also, I think you should capture a ground type Pokemon," Lucas says, explaining the last few seconds that have happened.

"Oh... Wait, why a ground type?" he asks him.

"Elesa will be your next gym battle, so I think it's best that you get a ground type. Her type is most likely electricity." His explanation causes Black and White to open their mouths in awe, almost saying, 'Oh'.

"But how do you know her type is electric?" White asks him. Lucas smirks and steps over to the sandy plains. A tiny head perks itself out from the sand.

"When you've battled as many gym leaders as I have you notice that some of them have names similar to their respective Pokemon type. Burgh sounds like bug and Cilan comes from cilantro, a type of flower aka grass." Lucas's words blows Black's mind as he thinks about them more.

"If that's not a meaningful name I don't know what is!" White says in shock.

"Elesa sounds like Electric. A bit of a huge coinci-DENCE!" Lucas turns around and sees something has bitten onto the back of his heel; a Sandile. "Hey, get off!"

Black takes out his Pokedex and scans it. White does the same. "Sandile, the Desert Croc Pokémon. A dark membrane protects its eyes from the sun, and it buries itself in the sand with its eyes and nose sticking out."

"I'm gonna catch it!" Black says, taking out a Great Ball. Sandile releases Lucas and jumps up, biting and stealing his hat.

"Hey, give that back!" Lucas reaches out to grab the tiny gator. It runs off, taking the hat with him. "Damn it, get back here!"

Lucas takes off after Sandile, while Black and White follow. Sandile continues running until he reaches the Desert Resort, a place covered in a sandstorm with two buildings in the west and the east. Sandile heads for the eastern tower, surrounded by ball shaped blue Pokemon, leaving them to give chase. Lucas heads in after him. "Get back here!"

"Slow down!" Black says as he continues following the diamond protagonist. White falls to her knees, panting hard due to her inability to keep up. Lucas and Black head inside, going down underground.

They spot other people looking around and examining the place. One of them has a backpack on. Lucas approaches her and asks, "Have you seen a Sandile with a hat?"

"No, can't say that I have," she replies to him.

"Damn. Let's look around," Lucas says, walking through the sand made floor.

Black follows after him, but then the backpacker asks him, "Do you have some time? I have these two fossils I don't need. Would you like one?"

"Huh?" Black turns to Lucas who is still looking for the Sandile. "Uh, sure, why not?"

"Good! Here's the Plume Fossil," she says, handing Black a fossil of a feather. She then gives a fossil of a turtle shell. "This is the Cover Fossil."

Black motions himself so he can stay standing. "Why do you have these fossils anyway?"

"Archaeology. Also, you can turn these fossils into Nacrene City's museum and they can revive a Pokemon from it," she says, walking towards the steps.

"Nacrene, huh?" Black says as he thinks about it.

"Found you!" Lucas shouts as he chases Sandile back passed Black. "Black, what are you doing?"

"Which one do you want? A fossil of a turtle or a bird?" Black asks him.

"Look, I don't have ti-turtle!" Lucas takes the Cover Fossil and chases after Sandile. With the extra weight gone Black follows after Lucas, placing the fossil in his bag. He chases the crocodile Pokemon to the Desert Resort's entrance.

"Hana, use String Shot!" Black sends out his grass/bug type, which spews strings to capture the croc. Sandile drops the hat in the process. Lucas walks to his hat and grabs it, placing it on top of his head.

"There, back where you belong." Lucas sighs after he adjusts his hat, glad that it's back.

"Now to catch you!"

* * *

Manabu: This puts an end to this chapter.

Yusei: What happens next time?

Manabu: Let's see... *reads over story file* Next time Black captures Sandile and heads for Nimbasa, where White meets Team Plasma's leader. Lucas sees Cheryl again, and it's not pretty.


	5. Chapter 5

_**The Grey Adventure**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Kenshin: Welcome to another chapter of the Gray Adventure.

Yusei: Today Black captures a new Pokemon in Sir C, and heads for Nimbasa to challenge his girlfriend Elesa. N and Cheryl return too, revealing their relationship to eachother.

_**Journal Entry 5: Vs. The Shining Beauty  
**_

* * *

_Last Time..._

_"Which one do you want? A fossil of a turtle or a bird?" Black asks him._

_"Look, I don't have ti-turtle!" Lucas takes the Cover Fossil and chases after Sandile. With the extra weight gone Black follows after Lucas, placing the fossil in his bag. He chases the crocodile Pokemon to the Desert Resort's entrance._

_"Hana, use String Shot!" Black sends out his grass/bug type, which spews strings to capture the croc. Sandile drops the hat in the process. Lucas walks to his hat and grabs it, placing it on top of his head._

_"There, back where you belong." Lucas sighs after he adjusts his hat, glad that it's back._

_"Now to catch you!"_

Back To Action...

"Hana, Razor Leaf!" Hana releases sharp leaves at Sandile, smacking it several times. It also frees Sandile of the strings wrapped around it. Black takes out a Great Ball and throws it, catching the sand croc. It shakes for a bit before stopping, completing the capture. "Alright!"

"I don't think you should keep that Pokemon..." Lucas says in a daunting tone.

"You're just saying that because Sir C stole your hat. Dovely stole my hat and I still caught her," Black says, taking the ball and attaching it to his belt. Lucas thinks about the name he gave Sandile just now, confused as to how he came up with it. He then retrieves Hana and heads back to the route. That's when he realizes something and asks, "Where's Hilda?"

"Your sister?" Lucas looks around for the white protagonist, finding nothing but sand around. "White? Where are you?"

"Over here you jerks!" Her voice can be heard just south of their position. They head that way, and along the way they eventually spot her figure running through the blizzard of sand. She eventually meets up with them, shouting, "You left me!"

"Why didn't you just stay on the road? We were coming back!" Black says to his sister. She reaches out and grabs his left ear, causing him plenty of pain and discomfort. "Leggo! Leggo! Leggo! Leggo! Leggo!"

"The next time you do it, I'm telling mom!" White warns him in a disgruntled voice, releasing his ear and walking back to Route 4. Going north, they continue until they reach the gate to Nimbasa City, the skies already dark now. Inside the gateway they find Professor Juniper with Cheren, conversing about something. "Professor?"

"Ah, White! Black! You're already here!" Juniper says as she notices them. Cheren turns around to face them, pushing his glasses further up his face with a single finger. "I had just spoken with Elesa. She'll be waiting for your gym battle tomorrow.

"Anyway, here you guys go." Juniper walks over to the twins and hands them each two Ultra Balls. "These are Ultra Balls, much stronger than Great Balls in catching Pokemon, especially one you really want. After all, it could be the first and last time you see that specific Pokemon!"

"Thanks Professor!" White says, thankful for the gift.

Junipier's eyes glance at the third person amongst them, Lucas. She walks over to him and asks, "May I ask who you are?"

"My name is Lucas. I'm a trainer from Sinnoh," he says, throwing his hands over the back of his head. "I received my first Pokemon from Rowan."

"Are, a trainer under Rowan's tutelage. How is he?" she asks. Lucas looks off to the side, letting his arms hang now.

"To be honest... I don't really know. Haven't spoken with him in 2 years..." he answers as honest as he could. Black's left eyebrow lifts when he hears that, and that's when he starts putting two and two together.

"Aw, that's too bad..." She sighs and leans back, turning around and walking towards the exit. "Anyway, for the three of you, despite the fact that I entrusted the Pokedex task to you, I want you to enjoy your journey.

"I'm not saying you should neglect it," she says, smiling while holding up her right hand index finger. "I'm just saying... Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find Bianca."

With that Juniper walks passed the trio towards the desert route. Once she's gone Cheren says, "It seems the professor gave us these Pokedex as a reason to send us on a journey."

"Eh?" Black exclaims.

"Ah, that's sense," White says.

"That's what my mom said anyway..." Cheren begins, clutching his arms together. "They wanted us to go out and see the world, so my mom, Bianca's mom, and your mother made a request to Juniper-san."

"So, what will you do now?" White asks him.

"I'm going to show my gratitude to the professor by catching a Pokemon on Route 4," he says, walking by White to Route 4.

"Well, let's go to the Pokemon center and turn in. Black will need plenty of training against Elesa," Lucas says as he walks north to the exit.

"Isn't he strong enough to face her the way he is?" White asks.

"No, he's right. I want to be safe than sorry," Black says, following after the diamond protagonist.

They continue through the gate to the big city Nimbasa. With nighttime running down over them, the trio head for the center. After booking a night's stay, Lucas takes the time to get a good night's meal, before heading to bed. Black and White also feed their Pokemon before going to bed. The sleeping arrangement is simple like always; Black and White share a room together while Lucas has to go with other trainers.

As Black sleeps, his mind goes to the events that have happened; first he captured Victini a Legendary Pokemon, next he and Elesa become a couple, if he interpreted that right, and finally he learned another thing about Lucas. If he hadn't heard from Rowan in two years then he must have been in Unova for that long. It just doesn't make sense; he wouldn't stay that long away from his friends and family to go on vacation from Pokemon training.

'Lucas is hiding something, and I wanna find out.' His thoughts focus on this up til he falls asleep, where his dreams become dominated by images of Elesa and him kissing. His dream then goes on with Bianca there watching.

Tomorrow Morning...

Black wakes up early in the morning, earlier than Lucas and White anyway, and heads out to the city. He begins walking around the city with a pleasant smile on his face, saying, "Time to fine some place to train."

Black comes before an eastern gate leading to Route 16. He spots a blackbelt trainer lifting a tiny weight. "Hey."

"What's with the tiny weight?" Black asks him.

"It's a macho brace! It's used by Pokemon to boost their growth when they hold it while training," he says. Black cups his chin and begins to think about it.

"Really... Do you have another?" Black asks him.

"Here." He tosses Black a second one he had in his pocket, and he falls flat on his bottom. "Heavy, ain't it?"

"Yeah... Thanks!" Black manages to stand up and walk off elsewhere into the city. He then sends out Date and hands him the macho brace. "This is a macho brace. It's used to promote Pokemon growth. You can hold this and battle no problem, right?"

Date nods and begins lifting it. Black smiles and retrieves his Pokemon into its ball. He then continues looking through town, until he sees Bianca by the Pokemon Musical hall. "Bianca?"

"Black!" Bianca runs to his side, joining him.

Back at the center White is just waking up, noticing Black is gone. "Huh. Must have left out.

She gets dressed, which takes a while, and she exits the center. Her leisure walk brings her to the entrance from Route 4, where she spots two Team Plasma grunts pestering an old man. One says, "Gramps! We know you run the Daycare!"

"We're taking Pokemon away from people. Since you work there we figure you must have a lot of Pokemon!" The other grunt says.

"What the hell is this?" he says, backing away from the villains. He spots White and hides behind her. "Please, help me! You're a trainer right?"

"Eh?"

"Get out of our way or we'll take your Pokemon too!" The first grunt says, sending out a Watchog.

"Wanna bet? Go, Emolga!" She sends out her Pokemon, the flying squirrel Emolga. "Quick Attack!"

"Hypnosis!" Watchog stares into Emolga's eyes, trying to capture it in a trance. Emolga closes her eyes and crashes into the ground. "Hyper Fang!"

Watchog bites down hard on the squirrel. "Spark!"

But that's when it releases one thousand volts to repel Watchog. "Electro Ball!"

Emolga forms electricity on her tail and swings, pulverizing Watchog and making it faint. The grunt backs away, shouting, "AH!"

"She's rather strong. Let's hide out at the amusement park!" The other grunt says, running off with his partner to the amusement park in the city.

The old man latches onto White and hugs her, shouting, "Thank you so much!"

"Let go!" She kicks the old man off, who blushes out of embarrassment.

"Anyway, let me thank you for your trouble," he says, walking over to a railing. That's where he unhooks a fresh bike from the rail. "It's a brand new bicycle. I'd always planned on riding around Nimbasa, but I never ended up riding it."

"Wow, thanks!" she says, going to him and retrieving the bike. She then makes a devious smile and narrows her eyes. "Black will be so jealous..."

"I own a daycare at Route 3. If you happen to be there then don't be shy; show up!" he says, giving a hearty laugh. "But anyway, I best leave. I only came for sightseeing, but then I got caught up in some trouble."

The old man then leaves, heading to Route 4. White mounts herself on the bike, looking up at Emolga who lands on her head. "Those grunts went to the amusement park, huh?"

"Bianca, when did you get here?" Black asks the blond girl.

"The professor told me Nimbasa City has a lot of things to see and do-" she says, holding out a map. "-the amusement park, Big Stadium, Small Court, and the Battle Subway! First things' first though, Pokemon musical!"

"You mean here?" He points to the building before them.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Bianca takes hold of Black's hand and pulls him inside of the musical theater.

Pokemon Center...

Lucas wakes up finally, the third of the trio to get out of bed. He gets himself dressed and heads for the twins' bedroom. "Hey guys, you...up?"

He finds that the two trainers have gotten up, and leaves out the building. "Huh, where'd they go?"

His wandering brings him to what looks to be a cafe. He sighs and prepares to enter, but stops when he sees a green haired woman not that much older than him coming out. She has a hood over her head, but he could tell from the hair alone. "Ma'am?"

Lucas rushes to her and grabs hold of the woman's hood, pulling it down. To his joy she really is Cheryl. "Oh, it's you again."

"Cheryl?" Lucas suddenly blurts out, but he then covers his mouth. Cheryl caught that though.

"How do you know my name?" she asks him, now interested in this mysterious person. "Are you a stalker?"

'That's right. She doesn't know who I am...' He remembers what Ho-oh told him, and becomes even more sad.

"Look, you're kind of cute, but that doesn't give you the reason to stalk me. My father won't be so forgiven," she says to him.

'Father?' Lucas continues to look at Cheryl, the warmth and love he remembered returning to his heart. 'Even if she doesn't remember, I still have to try.' He grabs her shoulders and says, "Cheryl, you have to remember me! I'm Lucas, your boyfriend!"

"Let go of me you pervert!" she shouts angrily, slapping him in the face. Her strike knocks Lucas to the ground, and leaves a pulsing mark on his face.

"...C-Cheryl?" As Lucas looks up at her, a crowd forms around them.

"Don't ever come near me again you bastard! And here I thought you were a good person..." she curses, spitting at his face.

Cheryl then walks off, leaving him there to hold his cheek in pain. It isn't so much the physical blow that phases him; it's because Cheryl did it that gave off so much impact. Lucas can't even hold back the tears welling up inside of him, so he hides his face with his hat and walks off, despite the leers he receives.

"How was I to know they were closed?" Bianca says to Black as they walk out the theater.

"There was a sign you know..." he tells her, causing the girl to blush out of embarrassment.

"Bianca!" A voice shouts. The flighty girl looks ahead to see her father walking towards her.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?" she asks him, surprised at his appearance.

"I've come to take you back! Why else?" he tells her. "Your mother told me that you'd made it all the way out here. Haven't you adventured enough?"

"No way! I'm going to keep traveling with Black and my Pokemon!" she says, standing beside Black and hugging his arm. He flinches at this action.

"Wait, I'm not really-"

"Absolutely not!" He grows angry at this point, grabbing Bianca's arm and pulling her away from Black. "Others do things their way, we do things ours!"

"Not ours, yours!" she shouts back, pushing him away. "I'll do things my way, and you do things yours!"

"Can I say something?" Black asks.

"Sweetie, you keep going on your travels." The new voice to come stops everything. Bianca and her father look down south of their position, and see Elesa walking towards them.

"Elesa?"

"Elesa-san?"

"Hey, stay out of this! This is strictly a family matter!" The adult says to her. She remains unswayed.

"My name is Elesa, the town's gym leader and a model," she replies to her.

"I thought you were a supermodel!" Black says.

"Same thing," she exclaims. Elesa then walks towards Bianca and says, "You know, there are many people out there; there are people whose way of thinking may be completely different from yours, and sometimes this means you'll get hurt."

"Of course!" Bianca's father says. "That's exactly right! It's because I'm worried about that..."

The blond, blue eyed trainer turns to the father and says, "But it's important to keep trying to learn about the differences between yourself and others; there's nothing wrong with being different."

"And if you're scared for Bianca then don't worry. Trainers always have Pokemon at their side." Black's statement brings him to the center of attention. "Pokemon are wonderful. After all, you can depend a lot on them."

"Elesa-san..." Bianca stares at the model with awe, her eyes sparkling and a red blush forming on her face. She then turns to her father and says, "Daddy, I know there's gonna be painful stuff like you're worrying about! I understand perfectly! But listen... There'll be tons of nice people, too. Afterall, ever since I've left Nuvema I've already become a stronger person. So please, trust me. Like that song."

"It's respect," Elesa corrects.

The old man pauses for a while, taking the moment to look at Black and then his daughter, and then says, "If wanting to continue your journey is selfishness on your part, stopping you is my selfishness. Who knew I'd be the one acting like a child!

"Bianca, this gym leader and your crush have opened my eyes," he says, causing Bianca and Black to flinch when he refers to her. "Bianca, I'm sure it's better that you take the path you want now, because I hope that your journey will be fun. Bon voyage!"

He then turns to Black and says, "Hilbert, please take care of my little girl, okay," before he leaves, heading south to the Route 4 exit.

Black's face becomes riddled with sweat as he takes that information in. 'What just happened?'

"I'll come home papa, after I find out what I really want to do!" she shouts to her father, finally happy with the choice he made.

"Being a parent must be so hard..." Elesa whispers to herself. She turns to Bianca and asks, "Did I meddle unnecessarily? You looked troubled so I decided to chime in."

"Thanks. I really needed help there," she says, looking up at the cool woman.

"Well Black, you've finally made it. I await your gym challenge at the Nimbasa gym; It's right by the amusement park," she says to the black protagonist.

"Thanks, I'll be ready," he says, holding up a fist and looking at her.

"I know." She smiles before walking over to him, and placing a kiss on his cheek. After kissing him, Elesa walks off, leaving the two shocked. Well, Bianca is more horrified than dumbfounded.

"Wow... she's really something..." Black says as he rubs the cheek she kissed.

"Black... Are you two a couple?" she asks him, a look of fear rising on her face.

"Well, she did say she wanted to. I guess she's serious," he replies, confirming her fear and causing her heart to skip two beats. "That's okay, right?"

"...Yeah... I guess so..." she says, forcing herself to smile at him. "I'll see you later, Black."

With that, she leaves for Route 5. Black doesn't notice the tears in her eyes as she walks off. "Bianca?"

Back with White she continues towards the amusement park. After entering the park she dismounts her bike, and dismembers it to fit inside her bag. White then proceeds to walking into the park, where she comes before the Ferris Wheel. There she sees N, but she doesn't know that. She comes to him and asks, "Hey, have you seen Team Plasma around?"

"You are..." N takes a moment to really look at White, and notices how she looks so much like Black. "Do you know of someone name Hilbert?"

"You know my brother?" she asks, shocked that he would know his real name. "Are you one of his friends he met through his travels?"

"Yes. If you're looking for Team Plasma, they aren't here. Let's check on the Ferris Wheel. It'll give us altitude," he says, turning to the Ferris Wheel.

White clutches her chin and thinks. Now that she thinks about it, that would make sense. So she says, "Sure," and they head for the Ferris Wheel. After entering the cart it takes them up. White looks out the window, saying, "I don't see them."

"I love Ferris wheels… The circular motion… The mechanics… They're like collections of elegant formulas." The words N says brings a peeved expression on her face.

"Did you bring me up here to hit on me?" she asks him in a pissed tone.

"I am the king of Team Plasma," he says, shocking the girl.

"What?"

"Ghetsis asked me to work with him to save Pokémon. I wonder how many Pokémon exist in this world ..." He walks to the window of the cart, standing beside White.

Hilda continues to look at the green haired guy, the tension growing in her as she does. 'He doesn't seem malicious at all. He's the leader of Team Plasma, yet he's kind of a nice guy.'

The Ferris Wheel reaches the bottom for them, and they exit. White then asks, "Did you bring me to the top of that Ferris Wheel to tell me this?"

"Yes. Your brother is part of the people brought in to help us save the Pokemon. The two of you are under my protection, unfortunately your friend Lucas isn't," he says to her, walking off to leave the amusement park. White follows after him.

"Wait! What do you know about Lucas?"

"Tell Black this," N begins as he walks off. "'I have a future that I must change. And, for that future… I'll defeat the Champion and become unbeatable, unlike any other! I'll make all Trainers free their Pokémon! Just try and stop me! If you want to be together with Pokémon, your only hope is to collect the Badges from each area and head for the Pokémon League! Try and stop me there, if you dare! If you're conviction is not strong enough, you will never be able to defeat me_._ '"

White slips over a banana peel, left over by a careless little girl eating the fruit meat. "Sorry lady."

White lifts her head up, but doesn't see N anymore. "He's gone."

"White? What are you doing here?" Black asks as he comes by her.

"Hilbert, where were you? Something bad is going down!" she says to him, standing back to her feet.

"Hey guys," Lucas says as he joins the twins. His hat is still down, covering the dried streaks of tears on his face.

"Lucas, where have you been?" Black asks him. He then notices the tear streaks on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Well, I guess it's time I told you guys the truth," he says to them, leaning by the railing near the amusement park entrance.

"Wait, I have something to say too. The leader of Team Plasma wanted to give you a message, Black," White says to her brother, walking to him. She then proceeds to telling Black and Lucas of the things she learned from N. Black and Lucas were able to tell who he was from the description of his hair color. "He might be after you."

"...So that's what that was..." he says, crossing his arms over his chest. "What is he up to?"

"...It's weird. These guys are totally different from the other teams out to misuse Pokemon..." Lucas says, gritting his teeth as he thinks.

"Okay, Lucas what were you about to tell us?" White asks him, causing Black to turn and face him.

"...Okay, here it comes... Black, remember when I said I was on vacation from Sinnoh?" Lucas asks him. He nods in response, and so our diamond protagonist says, "Well, it's not really a vacation. It's more like exile."

"Exile?" White exclaims.

"There's a Pokemon named Arceus, who is said to have created the three Pokemon who not only built Sinnoh, but the entire universe. In the past though Arceus was betrayed by humans, and even now she's still bitter to us. As her way of forgiving humanity, she chose me to suffer and live in this place all by myself." His explanation intrigues the twins. White looks sad at hearing this, while Black is in awe. "Now, not only am I stuck here for three years, but she also erased myself from the memories of everyone who know me. Cynthia, Riley, my mom, even Cheryl, no one remembers me anymore... And just now I met Cheryl, who confirmed the memory loss... I don't think I can take another couple of months of this!"

"So, Arceus is making you suffer, for humanity?" Black asks, hoping he got that right.

"Yes. I had to leave my Pokemon there and swear off training, catching and battling as part of the deal," he says to him, answering his question.

"That's so petty! You shouldn't have to suffer for what someone else did!" White shouts angrily. "That was years ago; she should let that go!"

"Like you let go of the fact that I accidentally walked in on you in the shower?" Black says sarcastically.

"I don't care if your ears were plugged! You should have noticed something was up!" White yells at him.

"So no one remembers you?" Black asks, ignoring White in hopes she drops it.

"Don't ignore me!"

"No. I don't know why she did that, or why she didn't tell me... I had to hear it from Ho-oh, but I do have a feeling Cheryl was the key point, because she's now a part of Team Plasma." This statement shocks White and Black. "I will unravel this mystery no matter what, even if I have to do it alone."

"Don't worry, I'll help you," Black says, placing a hand to his shoulder.

"I will too!" White adds, placing her hand on his other shoulder.

Lucas' eyes begin to tear up again, and he looks at the two of them with happy eyes. "Thanks guys."

"But right now, I've got to train. I have a challenge from N, and a gym match coming up." Black takes off for the north west exit of Nimbasa, prepared for training. Lucas nods and follows him; now's not the time to be depressed about Cheryl, because he's bound to run into them soon.

Later That Afternoon...

"Razor Leaf! Bite!" Hana and Sir C attack a group of Liepard, who run away from them. Black then takes a look at the Xtransceiver, and sees what time it is. "Wow, it's almost four."

"Yeah, I think that's enough training," Lucas says to Black. He's just about to capture Sir C and Hana in their balls, before they begin glowing brightly. "What the?"

"We're getting a lot of evolutions lately..." Lucas says as he looks at the two Pokemon. Sir C rises to two feet and crosses his arms, turning into Waruvile, I mean, Krokorok. Hana gains a humanoid body, sort of, and long grass blade arms. Antenna form on her head and she becomes Leavanny.

"Leavanny and... What's the other one?" Black takes out his Pokedex and scans the Pokemon, starting with Krokorok. "Krokorok the Desert Croc Pokemon; The special membrane covering its eyes can sense the heat of objects, so it can see its surroundings, even in sandstorms and in darkness. Leavanny, the Nurturing Pokemon; Upon finding a small Pokémon, it weaves clothing for it from leaves, using the cutters on its arms and sticky silk. "

"Wow... Two at once." Black retrieves his two Pokemon and heads to his friends. "Ready to go?"

"Sure thing!" White says, heading for the gateway.

Black and White, along with Lucas, enter through and go straight for the Pokemon center. After a while of waiting for his Pokemon to be fully healed Black and his friends head out, going directly towards the gym inside of the amusement park. Black reads the sign, "Nimbasa gym, Elesa; the Shining Beauty. Well, they got that down."

"Let's get going," Lucas says, walking inside the gym first. He gawks in awe when he sees the gym is composed of roller coasters. The floor they're standing on is just as high tech as the rest of the place. "This is just ridiculous."

"Wow! This is even better than the honey gym!" Black says as he walks inside with White.

"This must have set her back," White adds, eying the coasters in awe.

Lucas walks to a sign situated before the roller coaster, and reads it. He then says, "To reach Elesa we'll have to ride the coasters."

"EH?" White shouts in shock, paling at the idea.

"Let's go," Black says, pushing White towards the coaster.

She thrashes and kicks about, screaming, "NO! LET ME GO! I HATE ROLLER COASTERS!"

"So, you hate roller coasters but not Ferris Wheels?" Black asks her.

The two continue to struggle onto the roller coaster, until Lucas manages to help Black. They go inside and the roller coaster takes them whirling through the gym. After a while they reach Elesa, and they jump off; well, White does. Black approaches Elesa and says, "I'm here."

"Good," she says, taking the moment to hug Black. A huge blush rises on his face, and a small one perks up on Elesa's. "Did the fantastic speed make you dizzy?"

"Nope, I like roller coasters," he says to her, moving out of her embrace.

"I DON'T!" White shouts angrily, keeping her body motion together.

"I would like to show you more of Nimbasa City by myself, but first the battle. Don't let your personal feelings for me deter you," Elesa says with a smile, taking out her first Pokeball.

"Don't worry." Black steps away from her and takes out Hana's Pokeball. "I will."

"What are the rules?" Lucas asks her.

"Three against three. The same as Burgh's I guess," Elesa says to him.

"Begin!" Lucas says, referring the fight.

"Go, Hana!" Black sends out his grass/bug type.

"Oh, so Hana evolved so quickly... Good. Go, Emolga!" Elesa chooses her flying squirrel Pokemon Emolga.

"Hana, Razor Leaf!" Hana swings its arms to release a flurry of sharpened leaves.

"Dodge and use Aerial Ace!" Emolga takes flight and easily avoids the attack. Emolga then surrounds itself with white streams of light and divebombs down at Hana.

"Evade it!" Hana leans back and avoids the electric type's attack, just as it reaches her. "Slash!"

Hana leans up and turns around, slashing Emolga at its back. "Volt Switch!"

Emolga forms a large ball of electricity and tosses it at Hana, shocking the bug considerably. Emolga then returns itself to Elesa's Pokeball, and a second Emolga comes out. "Volt Switch?"

"Volt Switch allows a Pokemon to attack and return quickly," Elesa says to her. "Aerial Ace!"

Emolga flies at Hana, forming streaks of light just like the other one. This time Hana is struck in the chest, and falls to the ground. Hana faints, conceding victory to Emolga. Lucas says, "Hana is unable to battle. Emolga wins."

"That Volt Switch will be really annoying to deal with." Black retrieves his Pokemon and holds out a Premier Ball. "Let's go, Zeros!"

He then sends out his next Pokemon, Zeros. The Victini jumps up and down, preparing himself for battle. "Flame Charge!"

Zeros charges at Emolga, forming flames around his body. "Volt Switch!"

Zeros continues charging, even as he dodges the ball of lightning and misses Emolga. The one from before reappears. "Use Flame Charge again!"

Zeros flies at Emolga again, this time going faster than before. "Volt Switch!"

Zeros manages to strike Emolga this time, canceling its move and knocking it down. "Confusion."

"Aerial Ace!" Zeros captures Emolga in a psychic hold, at a speed so quick Emolga couldn't fly away. Emolga is then sent into a rail, fainting.

"Emolga one is unable to battle. Zeros wins," Lucas says.

"You're pokemon are shining brilliantly!" Elesa says to him with a smile. She captures her Pokemon Emolga, and sends out her other Emolga. "Quick Attack!"

"Flame Charge!" Zeros flies at the squirrel, colliding with it and knocking it away. "Headbutt!"

"Volt Switch!" Emolga fires at Victini, luckily evading the headbutt. Emolga and Victini are then sent back into their respective Pokeballs.

"Huh?"

"Volt Switch also works on the opposing trainer," Elesa says, and her last ball pops open. Out comes her last Pokemon, Zebstrika. Black's face distorts into a shocked expression.

"Eh?" Black takes out his Pokedex and scans it. "Zebstrika, the Thunderbolt Pokemon; They have lightning-like movements, and an ill-temper personality. When Zebstrika run at full speed, the sound of thunder reverberates."

"A properly dramatic victory requires a dash of danger, and a pinch of peril," Elesa says, her Pokemon neighing and rising on its back legs. It bicycles its front legs like a horse, and stands on all fours.

A Pokemon pops out of Black's ball, and it's Sir C. "Sir C?"

"Oh, you've captured a ground type..." Elesa lays on the floor as she talks.

"Yeah, it's all thanks to your advice, and Lucas'," he says, gesturing to the diamond protagonist. "Sir C, Dig!"

Sir C begins to dig underground, but stops when he notices the ground is completely made of metal. Lucas smacks his forehead, remembering that he made the same mistake once. "Oh yeah..."

"Raika, Flame Charge!" Raika the Zebstrika charges at Sir C, engulfing itself in rising flames.

"Stop it!" Sir C grabs hold of Raika by the horns, managing to keep its grounding. "Use Assurance!"

Sir C gets knocked up into the air, but manages to land on his feet. Sir C then palm thrusts the air, releasing a dark aura that knocks Raika back. "Quick Attack!"

Raika dashes at Sir C, tackling him at a speed the croc is unable to stand against. Sir C rolls along the floor painfully. "Flame Charge!"

Raika dashes at Sir C. "Sand Tomb!"

Sir C opens his mouth and spits out sand, which wraps around Raika and traps the zebra inside. Even the flames are doused out. "Crunch!"

Sir C runs up to Raika and bites down hard on its left side, causing it to cry out in pain. C then tosses Raika in the air, who crashes into the floor. "Volt Switch!"

Raika fires a ball of electricity from its twin horns, but the attack fails to damage Sir C. Still, he's sent back inside the ball, and out comes Zeros. "Spark!"

"Flame Charge!" Zeros and Raika charge at eachother, one covered in electricity, the other fire. They collide, and generate an explosion. Raika emerges from the smoke first, then Zeros hops on his head. Raika then collapses to the ground, fainting.

"Zebstrika is unable to battle. Zeros wins," Lucas says to the group.

"Good job Black!" White cheers.

"Return, Raika," Elesa says as she reclaims her Pokemon. "There's still one more. Emolga!"

Elesa sends out her last Pokemon, the second Emolga. When she does Black holds out the Premier ball, saying, "Zeros, return."

As Zeros returns to the ball, Black smiles before sending out his next Pokemon Sir C. "Aerial Ace!"

"Crunch!" Sir C stands his grounds and awaits Emolga's attack, dodging at the last second and biting down on its tail. Sir C then twirls Emolga and tosses it to the ground, causing it to faint.

"Emolga is unable to battle. Sir C wins. The winner of this battle is Black from Nuvema," Lucas says, ending the battle finally.

"Alright! Way to go Black!" White cheers, glad that her brother won.

Black retrieves his Pokemon just as Elesa does, and she stands up to walk to him. "That was a fine battle. You're definitely getting better with your Pokemon; Krokorok had a sweet fighting style."

"Thanks. You're not so bad yourself," Black exclaims.

"Yeah..." Elesa ends up staring into Black's eyes, so much so she forgets something. She comes back to reality and says, "I mean, you're a great trainer! Excuse me, I...uh... Oh, here!"

Elesa scrambles through her clothes and takes out a badge. She then opens his left hand and hands him it, saying, "This is the Bolt Badge. With it you now have up to four badges left to complete your journey."

"Yes! I'm halfway there!" Black takes out his badge case and places it away. "Where's the next gym?"

"In Driftveil," she replies. Elesa takes hold of his hand and looks into his eyes. "But, do we really have to go now?"

"Well, not really. I guess we can go sight seeing, right?" he says, turning back to his adviser Lucas. He shrugs, giving his answer. "Good enough!"

"Thank you. I won't be able to leave Nimbasa for another two days, so I'll have to stay," she tells him. The four trainers then head out the gym, using the roller coaster to White's dismay.

The Next Morning...

"What a delicious breakfast!" Lucas says as he places his fork down from eating a big meal.

"You need to stop eating into our funds! I don't earn enough from Pokemon battles to feed all three of us alone!" Black complains as he looks over the Pokedollar he still has left.

"Eh? You want me to cut back?" Lucas asks in a whiny voice.

"Anyway, we should head for Driftveil next," White says after finishing her omelet rice.

"I can actually take you there. The draw bridge is usually up in the morning," Elesa says. She rises from her seat and walks towards Route 5. But first she places a kiss on Black's cheek and says, "I'll be waiting at Route 5."

"Uh, okay..." Black says with a blush, completely forgetting his annoyance towards Lucas.

"Well, we better start packing. Our stuff is still at the center," Lucas says as he stands up and walks over to the center. White joins him, leaving Black at the restaurant's outside. Black heads for the entrance to the route, and looks over the badge he got from Elesa. A blush forms on his face as he thinks about her, but then the image is replaced by a crying Bianca. "Bianca?"

Black heads to where Route 5 is, being suddenly joined by Lucas and White who managed to pack in a hurry. They continue towards the gateway to Route 5 and pass through, seeing the drawn up bridge up ahead. As they continue, someone shouts, "Black!"

Black turns around and spots Cheren coming up to him. "Cheren?"

"The two of us own the same badge, right?" he asks, holding up the Bolt Badge.

'When did he get that?' Black asks himself.

"I'm here to battle you!" Cheren says, prepared for battle.

"Oh, you're here." The trio look back to see Elesa coming up to them. She faces Cheren and asks, "How was the stand in trainer?"

"She wasn't nearly as strong as I assumed you to be. Where were you?" he asks, giving a smugged look at the woman.

"I'm sorry about that. Anyway, I'm about ready to contact Clay over at Driftveil. Ready, Hilbert?" she asks him, walking back to the draw bridge. Black follows after her, along with the rest of his friends, and his sister. They walk by a group of kids, with an adult that has flaming red hair.

"Oh! Why, if it isn't Elesa!" he says, walking over to the group. "Aren't festivals grand? Life should be enjoyed!"

"Who the hell is he?" Cheren asks her.

"This is Alder, the Unova region Champion," she replies, getting a shocked reaction from Cheren, Black and Lucas.

"The Champion? As in the strongest trainer in a region?" Black asks her. Lucas pats him on the back and nods.

"Yes," she exclaims.

"Why would the champion be goofing off in a place like this?" Cheren asks her. Alder hears him and walks to the boy.

"I heard that; you're quite the judgmental young person, aren't you?" Alder says to the black haired teen. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. And anyway, I'm just on a journey around every corner of Unova!"

"A-Anyway, I'm Cheren from Nuvema Town. My goal is to become Champion!" he says, sticking a thumb up to himself.

"Hm. Traveling with a goal in mind is a commendable thing. And what do you plan to do after becoming the Champion?" Alder asks him, getting another shocked reaction from him.

"What else is there other than becoming stronger?" Cheren asks angrily.

"Hmm, all you can think about is becoming stronger you say... That alone isn't enough for a goal," he says to him. "It's not that I'm trying to say your way of thinking is wrong, but in my travels, I've helped many people learn to love Pokémon. I think that's important, too."

Alder turns to the two kids beside him, and says to the teens, "If you play with those children, you might gain more of an understanding. Will you two have a Pokémon battle with those two?"

"Okay!" The kids head for the teens and hold out a Pokeball each. Cheren takes out a Pokeball, and Black shows his own. The kids send out Herdier, one male and the other female. Cheren chooses Liepard and Black goes with Date.

Elsewhere...

Cheryl sits down in a chair, situated inside a fancy restaurant. Before her sits N. "Hello, N. Have you come to a conclusion of what you plan to do?"

"I have. Once I reach that tower I will acchieve all I need to change the world," N says, taking a sip of wine. "And you? What does he want from you now?"

"Nothing. He doesn't seem to know yet what he plans to do with me," she replies, cutting into her meat based meal. Her thoughts go back to Lucas, and a sudden pulse goes off in her heart. 'Why am I still thinking about him?'

Later...

"Water Pulse!" Date shoots a ball of water at Herdier, causing it to faint. This ends the last of their enemies, leaving Black and Cheren to be the victors.

"Nicely done! You didn't win, but that was a good battle. Your Pokémon looked like they were having fun," Alder says as he pats both kids on the back. He then turns to Cheren and says, "Young man, if there are people like you who pursue strength, there are also people who are happy just being with Pokémon. There are many different people and many different answers. When it comes to what a Champion should be, you and I may hold differing views, but so be it! Give it some thought."

"Let's roll. The Driftveil Drawbridge is just ahead," Elesa says, taking Black's hand and leading him to the bridge. Lucas and White follow them, both sighing at her actions.

Alder walks away towards Nimbasa. Cheren mutters, "The Champion is the strongest of the strong! That's all there is to it!"

He then heads for the bridge where his friend Black is. Elesa talks to the counter lady guarding the drawbridge. She's talking on a microphone that connects to the other side at Driftveil. "It's me, Elesa. Please lower the drawbridge. There are a couple of trainers who want to battle with you... Ok... Thanks..."

Afterwards the drawbridge comes down, connecting both sides to eachother. Elesa then picks up her Xtransceiver, and sighs. "Black, I have a tv gig in a few minutes. I won't be able to join you for your adventure right now."

"Okay. I'll see you as soon as I can, Elesa," Black says, leaning forward to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"...You missed," she says, holding her kissed cheek lightly. What neither of them notice is that Lucas, White and Cheren are crossing over to the other side.

"Eh?"

"Yeah, you missed." Elesa leans towards Black and gives him a kiss on the lips. After a few seconds she removes her lips from his, but then he smooches her back. The kiss lasts for several seconds before they part, both faces blushing. "Wow."

"Yeah. You're a good kisser." He states to the woman.

"Anyway, the gym leader of the next town may take some getting used to... Goodluck," she says, giving him one more kiss before leaving for Nimbasa.

Black regains his breathing after that last kiss. He then notices his friends leaving for Driftveil and follows after them. Meanwhile, Cheren says to himself, "What I am is a trainer. I prove I'm right by getting stronger and winning in battle. Even against the champion!"

"Being the strongest isn't always the best way to grow," Lucas says to him.

"Nobody was talking to you."

"When you say it outloud, it's not to yourself," White says to him, smacking four eyes in the back of his head. "And don't talk to Lucas like that; he's been through allot!"

Lucas remains silent after hearing that from her. He continues walking, even as Cheren bends down to pick up his glasses that were knocked off, and says, "Thanks."

The four trainers, including Black, finally make it to Driftveil. It wasn't as long as the Skyarrow Bridge, but it did take a 2 hour walk. Black plops down on his behind, taking a moment to rest. White turns on the Xtransceiver and it shows a map of the city. The Pokemon center shows up on screen. "It's just up west."

"Let's go then!" Lucas helps Black up to his feet and 'drags' him over to the building. Up ahead by the crossbridge stands a Texan dressed man wearing a white hat.

"Hrmph! So yer the trainers Elesa was talkin' bout, huh," he says, looking down at the younger trainers. "I'm Clay, the gym leader 'round these parts! Don't be 'xpecting a welcome though; because we had ta lower the bridge the Team Plasma guys we'd caught done escaped in all the ruckus!"

"What a bother," Cheren says, wiping his glasses clean with a special cloth in his jacket. "We're grateful that you lowered the bridge for us, but how is it our fault that they got away?"

"He's got a point," White exclaims.

"Yeah," Lucas adds.

"Ya can say whatever ya want, but the fact of the matter is y'all showed up, and then Plasma escaped," he says, tipping his hat a bit. "Maybe it's a little heavy-handed, but y'oughtta start lookin' for Plasma soon. Yer talented trainers, right?"

"We can do it, but you have to agree to battle me and Clay later on, okay?" Black says, bargaining with the ground using gym leader.

"Sounds fair!" Clay says, walking off into the city.

"That guy's a bit of a jerk," Cheren says.

"Life's about give and take, isn't it?" Lucas lectures.

"Big flaw there," Cheren says, twisting the long ends of his hair together. "I like taking, but giving stinks."

"Cheren, don't be so selfish. I would have searched for Plasma even if he didn't ask," White says, walking further into town.

"I would have too. I can get stronger beating weaklings like them." Cheren's statement ends with him running off into the city.

"I'm going to book a room. You guys have fun exploring," he says, walking towards the Pokemon center White pointed to earlier.

"Should we leave him alone? He must still be in pain at seeing the girl who doesn't remember him," White says as she watches him walk off.

"Lucas does seem a little sad, but We can deal with that later. Right now, we have to find Team Plasma and stop them from taking anyone else's Pokemon." Black's words cause White to change her resolve. After all he's right; as serious as Lucas' situation is, they can't let Team Plasma get away with anything.

"I got it," she says, walking with Black throughout the city. They continue searching for the grunts, most likely, or even one of their sages. Their investigation leads them to the marketplace, where they find a biker riding up and down the side. Ignoring him they head into the marketplace and ask around for Team Plasma.

A nurse approaches them and says, "I did hear they might have went to the Cold Storage. It's just south of the city."

"Thanks!" Black says, heading down to the southern section of the city with White.

* * *

Kenshin: That ends this chapter. Finally, Black and Elesa kiss. But Bianca knows about his relationship with her, and she's not all that happy to hear it.

Yusei: Why not?

Kenshin: I dunno. The only thing I know about women is physical differences from us and them.

Julia: And that's why I can't understand why Ester would fall in love with you. Anyway, next time Black meets Plasma in the Cold Storage, and faces Clay. Oh, and N returns.


	6. Chapter 6

_**The Grey Adventure**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

Kenshin: Welcome to another chapter of the Gray Adventure.

Yusei: Today Black and the others head to Chargestone Cave and deal with Team Plasma once more. Ghetsis returns too.

Agito: What the hell is this?

Yusei: Agito? Hey, ain't he the guy TCM made for Raven's upcoming Pokemon story?

Kenshin: Who?

Agito and Yusei: Raven the Ravenous!

_**Journal Entry 6: The Twins of Truth and Ideal  
**_

* * *

The twins Black and White head south of Driftveil towards the Cold Storage. After asking the workers around the place they head for the giant freezer right by the sea. Upon reaching the place White says, "It's real cold here."

"Yeah... Let's go," Black says, entering the freezer. White sighs and grabs her arms.

"White!" Cheren follows them down to the freezer. "Do you think Team Plasma could be in there?"

"I hope so... I don't want to go in that freezer dressed like this," she says, rubbing her arms and legs as she nears the door.

"I'll go then. You wait out here." Cheren goes in replacing White, who breathes a sigh of relief and stands away.

Inside Black looks around in a icy mist building looking for Team Plasma. "Man, it's cold."

"Oh, Black." Cheren joins up with the black protagonist, who turns around to spot him. Seeing his friend reminds four eyes of what Alder said to him. "Still, is there really anything more important than strength for trainers, like what the Champion said?"

"I believe so," Black replies.

"But, I'll never understand just by thinking about it... Let's check further inside," he says, going ahead of Black inside the frigid building. Black follows him, noticing his breath can be seen.

An employee notices them and says, "Hey, be careful! Some of the floors are frozen, so you might slip."

"Got it!" Black says as they head further in. After an hour of searching the entire storage for the villains, Black and Cheren come before a room placed at floor level. "That might be it."

"That is the only place we haven't checked here." Cheren heads in before Black, and he once again follows him. Inside they see a few grunts huddled beside what looks like a Seven Sage.

"All of you, huddle around me! I can't take this cold!" he complains, shivering like hell.

"Then why did we hide in here?" A male grunt asks him.

"Hey!" Black calls out, gathering their attention.

"They really were hiding here!" Cheren says in a shouting manner. He then says, "It's a bother, but if you're cold then I can show you outside, with handcuffs."

The Sage says, "Pokemon are our king's friends. While we're taking care of them, we can't let any harm come to them here... Drive these intruders away!"

"Understood, Zinzolin of the Seven Sages!" The grunts form a line in front of the two trainers.

"The room is rather small though..." Black says as he holds up a Premier Ball.

"You take four, I'll take four. Can you do that?" Cheren asks his friend. He nods, and they go to work.

Back In Driftveil...

Lucas walks by the market place with his eyes on the inventory. "Maybe he's right; I could do well to earning some money... But I can't do any battles..."

He comes by a dairy market and sees a lady not that much older than him handing out fliers. He takes one and reads, "Help wanted."

"Yeah, I need help unloading a coming shipment of carts full of Moomoo Milk," she says, smiling at the diamond protagonist. "I'll pay 700 for each hour."

"Alright."

Later Back At Cold Storage...

"Flame Charge!" Victini lights on fire and rockets towards Liepard. It heats up the entire storage building, melting some of the ice. Victini crashes into Liepard and defeats it. Black looks at Zinzolin and says, "That's the last of them."

"No!" The female grunt retrieves her pokemon.

At this moment Clay and four of the Cold Storage workers reach the trainers. He says, "Well, I'll be! Hidin' in a chilly old place like this... You guys take these Pokémon robbers! "

His men go over to the grunts and Zinzolin and handcuff them. They then take them away, leaving the Cold Storage. Clay then turns to the trainers and says, "You guys ain't so bad! Yup, a promise is a promise. Come on an' challenge my Gym!"

He then leaves, which let's the boys turn to eachother. Cheren says, "Whatever... Team Plasma's ideals... Separating humans from pokemon is no different than having a world with no pokemon!"

"I agree... Let's get out of here," Black says as he walks towards the exit. Cheren joins him, and together they leave the cold building. Outside is White, waiting for them at a good distance. "You're still here?"

"Of course! Who do you think called Clay over here?" White tells him. Cheren sighs and heads off, going to the city. "What's with him?"

"Who knows? I can never tell what he's thinking," Black says as he watches Cheren leave. "Let's go. I bet Lucas is bored to death by now."

"It's only been a couple of hours," White says to him. They head for the city, prepared to search for Black's mentor, and their friend, Lucas.

The two trainers head into the city, going by the marketplace first. At that moment White spots Lucas dressed like a worker carrying a crate containing bottles of milk. "Lucas?"

"Oh, hey guys," he says as he walks to his employer's shop.

"What are you doing here?" Black asks him.

"Earning money. I can't rely on your earnings, can I?" Lucas replies, returning to the truck to recover another crate. He comes back with two stacked together.

"Look, you don't have to do this. Besides, we're not staying for long," Black tells him as he walks to the delivery spot.

"It's only for today." Lucas places the crates down and continues towards the truck. He then replies in a sad tone, "Besides, it gives me something to do, besides thinking of Cheryl."

Noting the sad look on his face, the twins look at eachother and sigh. White then approaches him and says, "Lucas, I know it may be hard to deal with a heartbreak, but you can't keep thinking like this."

"But what if she meets someone?" His sudden snap at White shocks the female. "What if she falls in love with some guy and when her memories come back she'll stay with him? I can't take it!"

White smacks Lucas across the face, snapping him out of it. Angrily, she says, "First off, don't ever snap at me like that. Second, even if she does dump you for someone else, why are you making it seem like it's the end of the world? Would your life be any less than what it is if you didn't meet her?"

Lucas takes a moment to pause, and looks away. He then says, "I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for her."

"...really?"

"I've been put into lots of dangerous situations; facing Team Plasma and Team Rocket have brought about such trouble. But because of them she was caught up in the danger... She was almost killed before once... And yet she still stayed beside me..." Lucas tells them, answering Black's response. "I can't just forget about her..."

"Then all we gotta do is keep running into Team Plasma. We're bound to run into her sooner or later," she says, crossing her arms under her chest.

"...I know..." Lucas continues with his job. "I'll meet you guys later tonight."

"Yeah..." Black walks towards the Pokemon Center, White following after. As they leave Lucas continues with work, placing another crate where his employer wanted.

After a few more hours of work, including doing other tasks she wanted from him. By the end of the day, Lucas ends up sweaty and tired. He also couldn't help but notice she continued looking at him, with the same eyes he recognized in most girls who've met him.

"Well, I've finished the tasks. When do I receive pay?" he asks her.

"I'll pay you in a moment. First, may I ask that you come with me outside the market?" she asks, taking hold of his hand. She then drags him outside of the market, leading him to a secure location.

"So, why am I here?" he asks her. The woman then leans towards Lucas and places her hands on his shoulder, edging her body ever so closer. "Eh?"

"I can't believe I've found such a handsome man. You must be a great kisser," she says, a huge blush appearing on her lecherous face.

"EH? You only hired me to get near me?" he asks in a shocked, shouting tone.

"That was legit; but seeing you sweating and working so hard got me hot and bothered..." she smiles and looks into his eyes, licking his left cheek. "Would you like it here, or wait til we go home?"

"I'll wait til we-wait, get off!" Lucas pushes her off of him, doing his best to contain himself. "I don't know what you're into, but I'm into that kind of stuff... Not with you anyway."

"So you'd rather sleep with a woman who doesn't know you?" she asks him, causing him to flinch. "I heard your conversation with your friends. Why try to wait for something that might not happen? Grab what you can, and don't let go!"

'I'm sure you do that all the time.' "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't." Lucas walks away, heading off to find his friends. After a few steps away he returns though, much to her joy, but she is immediately put down when he asks, "Can I get my payment now?"

She scuffs and takes out a checkbook, writing on a check for his payment and ripping it out. She then holds it out to him, leading him to come closer to her, but then with a grin she immediately slips the check in between her breasts.

Lucas grits his teeth angrily, muttering, "So, that's how you wanna play it, huh?"

Elsewhere Black and White are on Route 6 training their Pokemon. Date is facing off against the now evolved Scolipede White owns. "Scolipede, Megahorn!"

"Fury Cutter!" Date strikes Scolipede on the horns, knocking him away. He lands, before scratching his back suddenly. "You're doing great!"

"That macho brace is sure doing the trick!" White says to him.

"Having fun?" Someone says to them. They look off to the side and spot a female scientist.

"Oh, hi. We're just training," Black says to her.

"Training, huh? Well, I would like to be part of this training. I want to unlock the mechanism and find the secret of your power." The scientist sends out her Pokemon Deerling. "My name is Maria by the way."

"Black. Nice to meet you," Black says as Date turns to face the new Pokemon. Black then scans Deerling with the Pokedex. "Deerling, the Season Pokémon; With the change of each season, Deerling's appearance changes as well."

"Deerling, Jump Kick!" Deerling jumps in the air and prepares to kick Date in the face.

"Dodge and use Razor Shell!" Date dives underneath Deerling and slashes at its underbelly. Deerling lands though as if unhurt. "Didn't work."

"Deerling is part grass. Water moves won't be as strong," White warns him.

"Oh yeah. Date, use Fury Cutter!" On his orders Date prepares to move, but suddenly stops to scratch his back. "Date?"

"Energy Ball!" Deerling fires a ball of solar energy at Date, knocking him down.

"Date, return!" Black reclaims his Pokemon, placing his ball next to Dovely's and Sir C's. He then takes out Dovely and sends her into battle. "Dovely, use Air Slash!"

Dovely flaps her wings and releases twin blades of wind. Deerling gets hit, blown away by it. "Quick Attack!"

"Jump Kick!" Deerling jumps at Dovely and kicks her in the face, but she manages to strike the deer in the side. Deerling falls to the ground, fainting. "Deerling!"

"Alright, Dovely!" Black says, glad his Pokemon won with ease. He then retrieves his Pokemon inside.

"Thanks for the research. Have a good day," Maria says after giving her Pokemon a Revive and then a Super Potion. 'I should have focused on the battle.'

"I think we've gotten enough training down. Let's get going," White says, retrieving her Scolipede.

"Yeah, it looks late," Black says as they head back to the Pokemon center in Driftveil. The duo enter inside and hand in their Pokemon for healing. Once that's done with, the trainers head for the cafe for dinner.

After Dinner...

Black places his fork down, giving out a sigh of relief from the meal he ate. "That was great."

"Hey, what happened to Lucas? He should have been back by now," White says before she begins chewing on her piece of meat.

"Don't worry too much about him. After that pep talk you gave him he should be fine," Black replies with a smile.

"Hey guys." The twins look to the side and spot Lucas coming up to them. Black leers back at White, who sighs in defeat. "I've deposited the check into Black's account."

"Where have you been? It shouldn't have taken that long for one job," White says to him.

"Well the job wasn't so bad. Getting the payment was hard though, especially considering I had to steal it from her after she went home." Lucas' answer surprises the teens. "Anyway, I don't want to talk about it. Resisting a woman's temptation isn't as easy when you really have to do it."

"What?" Black didn't really understand what he meant by that. That's when the ding goes off. Up at the front counter Nurse Joy comes walking out from the back with a cart of Pokeballs.

Black and White head to her and she hands them their Pokemon. Lucas joins them not far behind. "Your Pokemon are at full health."

"Thanks miss Joy!" The two say in unison.

"Although, there is something you should know," she says, gaining their attention. "It seems your Pokemon have been infected with the Pokerus."

"The what?" They all ask at once.

"The Pokemon virus; it's a condition afflicted upon Pokemon infected with tiny microscopic life forms. The first signs of infection are scratching," she explains to the three trainers. When she mentioned the scratching, Black thinks back to the time he was training Date against wild Pokemon, and he started scratching after a few battles. Now that he knows this he's starting to get worried. "Afterwards, the Pokemon in question will soon stop scratching all together and the infection will be complete."

"What will happen to Date and the others? Will they be okay?" Black asks them with worry.

"Black, calm down. We don't know if it's fatal," White says to him. She sighs and looks away, saying in a sad tone, "I hope."

"Oh, don't worry," she says. "The Pokerus has no fatal effect on your Pokemon. Infact, it's actually the opposite. It increases the growth of your Pokemon and makes them stronger. It seems the Pokerus came from Dewott and spread to your other Pokemon during treatment."

"It spreads that fast?" White asks in intrigue.

"The organisms can also seep through the Pokeballs. I'd say every one of your Pokemon have been infected," she tells them. "But, some Pokemon may gain an immunity after being exposed to Pokemon that have had it for days."

"Does it go away?" Black asks her.

"No. Apparently it's a permanent condition Pokemon are afflicted with, like HIV and ADHD for humans," she answers him. "The infection period lasts for about three days though, so any Pokemon you manage to capture might gain the virus and the time period will restart for them."

"Ah..." Black sighs in relief, glad that his Pokemon are in no harm's way. "Thank goodness they're okay."

Nurse Joy chuckles a bit. "That's rather cute; you were worried so much for your Pokemon until you heard the truth, unlike your friend here who felt interested in how things would work out."

"Well, Black here is a bit of a worrywart for his Pokemon after his battle with Lenora, and his sister's a free spirit who tries not to focus on what's in front of her. Regardless, they still desire value and truth," Lucas says, getting his friends perfectly.

"Well, try not to worry too much about this," she says to them.

"Thanks," they reply.

The Next Day...

Black, White and Lucas head for the gym. After eating, Black assorts his team of trained Pokemon for covering all possibilities. When they reach the gym, they find Team Plasma with Ghetsis standing by. Clay is there too along with two grunts and Zinzolin. The green haired adult turns to the trio, eying Lucas once more, and says to Clay, "Clay. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Ghetsis of Team Plasma, and I've come to pick up my associates in your care."

"I don't need no thanks. Yer buddies were tryin' ta steal some folks' Pokemon," he says to him, the lit cigarette between his lips flopping about as he talks.

""What's this? It seems as if there has been some misunderstanding. We only free Pokémon from wicked people." His words cause Black to scuff loudly. Clay looks like he would do the same thing.

"Well, that sounds real nice, if it's true. I may not talk purty, but at least I'm an honest man. You talk real nice, but what yer sayin' kinda sounds like yer lyin'," Clay says to him, finishing his cigar. After he puts it out, by rubbing it on Zinzolin's fire proof garb, he asks, "So tell me plain, what are ya tryin' to say?"

Ghetsis twitches a little, noting how intelligent Clay is. "Team Plasma also has an interest in Driftveil City. And we have many, many more members besides those who are here..."

Clay rebuttals by saying, "Well, I can't tell if yer lyin' or not, but I reckon you've won this without fightin'..." He then turns to the Plasma members and says, "Go on, git!"

"How wise of the Miner King. So, off we go then," Ghetsis says, taking a step forward. The Team Plasma grunts and Zinzolin run to his side.

"Ghetsis, thank you so very much!" Zinzolin says to him.

"Not thanks is necessary, fellow servant of the king," Ghetsis says, referring to N. "We are after all two of the Seven Sages... Now, shall we then?"

The group head off towards Route 6. With them gone Clay says, "Man, that guy is one itch'n my back! Now then, let's have that battle!"

Clay heads inside of the gym, leaving the trio outside. Black sighs, saying, "That was troublesome. I was half expecting a battle."

"Still, this Ghetsis guy isn't a normal person. He won that through words and no violence..." White states as she cups her cheek.

"Clay is right," Lucas says, gaining their attention. "Ghetsis is nothing but a liar... He's just as bad as Cyrus."

"Who?" White asks.

"The leader of Team Galactic; he tried to take control of two legendary Pokemon and create a new world, destroying this one in the process. He was the one who almost killed Cheryl." Lucas' answer shocks White so much she cups her mouth. "I'll tell you later."

"Yeah, I wanna face Clay!" Black says, heading into the gym. White and Lucas head in after him, coming to what looks like a lobby. Up ahead is an elevator. The trio walk inside the elevator and take it downstairs.

The elevator takes them down, within a mine shaft. There are other elevators and girders around them and below. A female clerk crosses over a girder and says, "If you want to reach Clay, you'll have to navigate carefully to that elevator which will take you to the bottom."

"Isn't this dangerous?" White asks her.

"That's why I said carefully. It wouldn't be a gym challenge if it was only based on Pokemon battle; the trainer needs to be smarter too," she says to her. The clerk then passes them by and stands in the elevator.

"...Let's get this over with," Black says as he passes by White and crosses over a girder. His sister and mentor follow after him.

The trio begin their journey to the bottom of the gym by crossing over girders and riding up and down elevators. Sometimes they go up, sometimes they go down; regardless they're on a move. Eventually they reach the one elevator placed at a higher level than the one they came down on, and ride it all the way to the bottom.

The elevator lands at the lowest level, where Clay can be seen. "'Bout time ya got here! I've been waitin' ta see why Elesa has fallen in love wit ya."

"Eh? What makes you-we're just a couple," Black says, stuttering to stay focus.

"Well, a dense idiot like you would think that," White mumbles to herself. 'That's why he never noticed Bianca's feelings for him... 'sigh' Oh well... It's his life.'

"Like your battle with Elesa, I suppose, this fight will go on with three against three. Let's begin." Clay sends out his first Pokemon, Krokorok.

"Go, Hana!" Black sends out his Pokemon Leavanny. "Razor Leaf!"

Hana swings and releases sharpened leaves at Krokorok. "Dig!"

The crocodile digs underground and travels towards Hana, avoiding the leaves. "String Shot!"

Hana fires a thread up at the ceiling and pulls herself away, avoiding Krokorok's blow. "Cover Krokorok with String Shot!"

Hana releases her thread and lands, before firing a second string shot at Krokorok. "Cut it down and then use Bulldoze!"

Krokorok slashes the threads away, using his sharp claws. He then stomps the ground hard, smoothing the dirt all around him and forcing Hana down. "Crunch!"

Krokorok runs at Hana and bites down on her head, before tossing her into a wall. "Hana, return!"

Black calls his Pokemon back, and then sends out a Premier Ball, choosing Zeros. "Zeros, Flame Charge!"

"Bulldoze!" Krokorok prepares to smooth the ground once more, while Zeros engulfs himself in flames and rockets towards the crocodile. Zeros collides with Krokorok and explodes on impact, knocking down the crocodile. Clay takes out a Pokeball and calls back his Pokemon. "Let's get 'em, Palpitoad!"

His next Pokemon is the water/ground type Palpitoad. "Mud Shot!"

"Confusion!" Zeros uses psychic powers to divert the mud attack elsewhere.

"Muddy Water!" Palpitoad follows up by shooting muddy water from its mouth at Zeros, who gets blown away by it.

"Return!" Black calls back his Pokemon quickly. 'This guy is no joke.' "Hana, Razor Leaf!"

Hana returns to the scene, swinging her arms to release a flurry of leaves at Palpitoad. Being slower than Krokorok it fails to avoid the attack. The four times super effective hit manages to O.H.K.O. the water/ground type. Clay retrieves his Pokemon and holds out his third ball. "Hmph. Not bad. Here's the doosey!"

Clay sends out his third Pokemon, the Ground/Steel type Excadrill. "Hone Claws!"

Excadrill claws the ground with his steel claws, sharpening them. He then glares at Hana with a devious grin. "Hana, String Shot!"

Hana wraps threads all around the mole, but he tears through them with his claws easily. "Rock Slide!"

Excadrill slashes the ground, sending a gang of large rocks towards Hana. "Get away with String Shot and retaliate with Razor Leaf!"

Hana uses threads to go higher up into the sky. Excadrill uses Rock Slide again, this time rocks come down from the side of the wall and plows Hana to the ground. She has unfortunately fainted. "Hana!"

Black rushes to his trampled Pokemon, helping her out of the boulders on her. He then holds his ball up and retrieves her, saying, "You did the best you could. Enjoy your rest."

"Wow, he really cares about his Pokemon," White says, watching Black act that way.

"Yeah. I really raised him right," Lucas says with a smile. Black returns to his position and holds out Victini's ball.

"Zeros, Flame Charge!" He sends out Zeros, who flies at Excadrill while engulfed in flames.

"Metal Claw!" Excadrill folds his arms together and turn into a drill, colliding with Zeros and knocking him off course. Clay then holds out his ball and retrieves his Pokemon. "This is sure getting interesting! Go, Krokorok!"

Clay sends out his Krokorok again. 'I have to finish this off quickly. Zeros won't last long against a Dark type!' "Flame Charge!"

"Block it!" Zeros rockets towards Krokorok, who holds his arms out to block. This causes an explosion, complete with a smokescreen. It clears, showing Krokorok holding Zeros by the arms. "Zeros!"

"Crunch!" Krokorok bites down hard on Zeros' head, knocking him out. Krokorok then lets him drop.

"Zeros!" Black runs to his Pokemon's side and helps the little guy up. He sighs and retrieves his Pokemon, saying, "Sorry about all of this. I'll make it up to you."

'Hmm... So that's what Elesa sees...' Clay thinks as he watches Black.

Black returns to his spot and holds out his final Pokeball. "This won't be as simple as the others. Go, Date!"

He sends out his last Pokemon, the samurai otter Date. "Krokorok, Bulldoze!"

"Scald!" Date fires a stream of boiling hot water at Krokorok, burning the croc's face hard like acid. It hurts so much the croc is too distracted to use Bulldoze. "Drop the Macho Brace and use Razor Shell!"

Date drops the macho brace he's holding and dashes at Krokorok, at a speed so amazing neither trainers could keep up. Date then draws one of his scalchops, and slashes Krokorok down. He faints. Clay retrieves his Pokemon in shock.

'Damn! He's gotten so much stronger! That Pokerus thing is better than I thought.' "Alright, Date!" Black shouts out, cheering for his Pokemon.

"Givin' up's the easy way out! If I wanted, I could have given up any old time! It's up yer goal, Excadrill!" Clay sends out his last Pokemon, Excadrill. "Hone Claws!"

Excadrill sharpens his claws, glaring at Date with a hungry look in his eyes. "Scald!"

Date squirts boiling hot water at Excadrill. "Dig!"

Excadrill drills underground, avoiding Date's move. He then erupts from the ground, striking the otter hard. Date lands back on his feet, and draws both his blades. Excadrill digs into the ground once more. 'That dig will be a problem.' "Use Scald on the ground!"

Date squirts on the ground, causing it to heat up. Excadrill comes up from the ground to attack Date, who repels himself into the air with Scald. "Keep using Scald on the ground."

Date continues his hot water attack, even as Excadrill digs into the ground once more. Date then lands, and sees the mole's movements through the moist ground. "Now, when he comes by use Razor Shell and knock him into the sky!"

Date nods and awaits Excadrill's arrival. When he comes nearby Date slashes, extending his blades to knock the mole out of the ground. Date then jumps into the air at him. "Metal Claw!"

"Revenge!" Date takes the hit from Excadrill, and then knees the mole in the chin. Excadrill falls to the ground, fainting. Date lands on top of him. "Alright, Date!"

Clay laughs a bit, before retrieving his Pokemon and saying, "Well, I've had enough... and just so you know, I didn't go easy on you."

"I can tell," he replies, smiling as he walks over to Date and rubs him on his head. He then hands him the macho brace and returns him to his ball.

"Mrrrmph I see. But I sure don't like it! Fer such a young 'un, ya have an imposin' battle style. I know ya got people who can dig up yer potential," Clay says before he walks towards him. "I'm suppose to give ya a badge, but right now I have to do something. Meet me at Chargestone Cave just north of here tomorrow morning."

"EH?"

Tomorrow Morning...

Black, Lucas and White walk out of the Pokemon Center with all their gear ready for transport. They also make sure they have Pokeballs, most especially Ultra Balls, Timer Balls, and Net Balls. Walking to the Route 6 exit a voice calls out to them. "Black! White! Lucas!"

They each turn around to see Bianca running up to them. She trips on her feet and crashes into Black. They fall, Bianca landing on his arms. This forms a huge blush on both of their faces, and she says, "S-sorry!"

"Yeah, I'm used to this." Black helps Bianca to her feet, who is still blushing even as he releases her. "So, what brings you here?"

"Did you win a new badge?" she asks him.

"Not yet. I have to get it by Chargestone Cave," he replies.

"Aw... I wanted to see it..." she whines, turning away with disappointment. She then notices White and says, "No, I can't get distracted! White, battle me!"

"Eh? Me?" she asks, pointing to herself.

"Yeah! I've faced Black all these times, but now I want to face you!" Bianca holds up a Pokeball and sends Musharna out.

"Fine. Go, Emolga!" White sends out her very first Pokemon, Emolga.

"Musharna, Hypnosis!" Her Pokemon releases a hypnotic ray at Emolga.

"Avoid and use Shockwave!" Emolga avoids Musharna's move and releases an electric shockwave at it. It knocks the Psychic type off balance, but it still floats.

"Psybeam!" Musharna fires a beam of psychic energy at Emolga, so fast it looks like it can't dodge.

"Light Screen!" Emolga forms a barrier in front of her and blocks the attack. "Quick Attack!"

"Defense Curl!" The squirrel then flies at Musharna and tackles it to the ground, but Musharna's soft body protects it from any damage. It then re levitates. "Psybeam!"

"It's pretty even," Black says as he watches the battle.

"Actually, White has this in the bag," Lucas says as he eyes Emolga.

"Eh? What makes you so sure?"

"Emolga has Electro Ball. It's a move with a set power based on the speed of the user compared to the opponent-" Lucas then points to the pig-like Pokemon Musharna. "-and Bianca's Pokemon is low in the speed department."

"Then all she needs to do is say-"

"Electro Ball!" Emolga tosses Electro Ball at Musharna, and the attack knocks Musharna out. Of course it's still floating.

"Musharna!" Bianca runs to her defeated Pokemon.

"See?" Lucas turns to Black with a triumphant look.

"That was a good battle. I never would have thought you'd be as strong as Black," Bianca says as he retrieves Musharna.

"Well, that's what happens when you train with him." White retrieves her Pokemon as well. "You're way tuned in to how your Pokemon feel!"

"Thanks... I'm going to check out the city. See you guys later," Bianca says before taking off into another direction.

With her gone the trio head northwest, going straight to the Chargestone Cave just up north. Along the way the twins show Lucas all the sights they got to see while training. It didn't take that long for them to reach the cave however, situated right by a flowing stream of water. Just east of the water is another cave, one neither of them notice, but that's not important now.

The trio reach the cave entrance, where they spot a yellow spider web attached. Lucas approaches it and tosses the web, and receives an electric shock. "Ah! What the hell's this?"

"Galvantula," a voice speaks. Behind them appears Clay, with his Krokorok. "Thanks fer waitin'. Th' web's from th' nest of an electric/bug type Pokemon called Galvantula. Doesn't make sense for it ta be here."

"It would if a Galvantula just happened to make a web here," Lucas says to him.

"Well, if there are folks havin' problems, th' Gym Leader's th' one ta fix it. Krokorok, Cut!" Clay's Pokemon lunges at the web and slashes it off the walls. Clay then turns to Black, takes out a badge and says, "Here, I believe this Quake Badge belongs ta ya."

"Thanks!" Black receives his badge and takes out his case.

"I don't know how good you really are, but if ya think ya can go, go wherever, and if ya think ya can do somethin', keep doin' it. Do things how ya want! Decide yer own limits ," he says to them, before walking off with his Pokemon.

Inside Chargestone Cave...

Black, White and Lucas walk into the cave. The sound of electricity sparking through the walls resound through their ears. That same electricity can be seen just up ahead by a blue, floating crystal. Suddenly, two figures appear before Black and behind him, both of them dressed like ninjas. "Hilbert!"

"Who are you guys?" Black questions them. Lucas prepares an Aura Sphere, but the ninja behind Black holds a knife up to the back of his neck, signaling him to stop.

"Come," The one before him says, grabbing him by his left shoulder. The one behind him takes his right and they dash forward.

"Hilbert!" White chases after her brother, and Lucas follows close behind.

Not far into the cave do the ninjas bring Black to a spot and drop him to the ground. A small electric bug Pokemon squirms out of the way, and crawls inside of his back pocket. The left one says, "We've brought the one you wanted, my lord N."

They then disappear, leaving Black to pull himself up. He sees N standing in front of him. "N?"

"If you were wondering, that was the Shadow Triad. Ghetsis enlisted them in Team Plasma," he says to him. He then turns left. "They set up the web at the entrance," he says before sighing. "I like this place, Chargestone Cave. Formulas express electricity and its connection to Pokemon... If people didn't exist, this place would be ideal.

"You have been chosen. Does this not surprise you?" N says, looking down at Black and turning back to face him. At this point he's already picking himself up to his feet.

"What do you mean, chosen?"

"Yes, such news should be a surprise. I told Ghetsis about you and your friends, and afterwards he apparently used the Shadow Triad to do research on your group," he says, adjusting his hat to fit right. At this point Lucas and White catch up.

"Black, are you okay?" White calls out to him. She reaches out and grabs his left arm out of affection.

"White..." he mutters, shocked at her sudden emotional move.

"Cheren, he pursues the ideal of strength. Poor Bianca has faced the sad truth that not everyone can become stronger," N says, his analysis of his friends surprisingly accurate. "And then there's you, a man unswayed by either emotion. You're more of a neutral presence, hard-boiled."

"Eh?" he exclaims.

"White, Hilda Hakumei," N says, catching her attention. "White is a free spirit who sees things the way you do. Despite being two different people, you're the same person more than you realize. That said, it's really a good thing.

"Team Plasma will be waiting for you ahead. Ghetsis wants to see what kind of trainer you truly are." With that, he walks off further into the cave.

"...He had us down to a T," White says as she watches N leave.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Lucas asks him.

"I doubt he would go that far," Black says back.

As they prepare to move further, a voice calls out saying, "Black!"

Coming to them is Bianca and Professor Juniper. The professor then says, "Hi there! How are you, Black, White, Lucas?"

"We're cool at the moment," Black answers.

Juniper smiles and looks about the cave, saying, "This place is always charged with lots of electricity that Pokemon like! The Electric charges react from one stone to another, and that's why some of the stones are floating!

"Anyway, my father asked me to research Klink, a Pokemon that looks like a gear. As I research the origins of Pokemon and the era they appeared, this is important to me," she says as walks further passed them. "He knows how to get what he wants from people, but I was already interested in this anyway so I came."

"Well, good luck in here. Team Plasma might show up," Lucas says, remembering N's warning.

"Don't worry! That's why I'm here as her bodyguard!" Bianca says to him. Black looks at Bianca, who turns away from him. "Well, that's probably not necessary, but you have to protect important things."

"I agree. That's why we'll have to go deeper into the cave," Lucas says as he heads off before the others.

"Hey, wait up!" Black says, following after his friend. White sighs and chases them.

The trio continue to walk down the path further into the cave, until he notices a weird squirm in his pocket. The Pokemon from before crawls up his back, causing a tickling sensation to wiggle through his body. Now laughing, Black scrambles to get whatever's in his back out, until it jumps out onto White's chest.

"Kya!" she suddenly cries out, but her shock goes away when she sees the Pokemon. "What's this?"

"Check the Pokedex." Lucas suggests to her, to which she does. She takes out her Pokedex and scans the little critter. "Joltik, the Attaching Pokemon; They attach themselves to large-bodied Pokémon and absorb static electricity, which they store in an electric pouch. Joltik that live in cities have learned a technique for sucking electricity from the outlets in houses. "

"It's such a small Pokemon. It's even smaller than Shaymin," Lucas exclaims as he looks at it. A second Joltik jumps onto Black's hat, scurrying to his face. "Ah, there's another one."

"I'm going to catch it!" Black takes out a Pokeball and holds it out to the Pokemon. Joltik hops onto his right arm, lightly nibbling through the coat onto his flesh. "Hey, get off!"

White chuckles as she looks at him. "Not good with bugs, are you?"

"I'm still catching it!" Black taps the Joltik on his arm with the ball by switching hands, and captures it. White throws another ball at the mite on his head, capturing the Pokemon as well. After a while the Net Balls stop shaking, signaling their captivity. "Well, that was easier than I thought."

"Yeah." White picks up her ball, and checks her Pokemon using the Pokedex. "Mine has the Unnerve ability, is at level 27, and is a girl!"

"Mine is-" Black begins, checking his Pokemon with the dex. "-a male, with Compound Eyes, at lv 24, and has a neutral nature... Meh."

"There are probably more electric types inside," Lucas says as they prepare to go further into the cave.

Along the way they spot several other Pokemon residing in the cave; Enemo, more Joltik, Drillbur, Klink, and a Boldore. Black also battles against an Ace Trainer. They soon reach a floating crystal, one Lucas pushes out of the way, and that's right when Bianca and Juniper joins them.

"Did you guys find anything?" The professor asks them.

"Not really, just two Joltik," Black says to her.

"Well we're just about done collecting data," she says, turning around to look at the cave and all of its surroundings. "This cave has been around since the distant past, but we can't seem to prove that Klink has been around for more than a hundred years... This leads me to believe Klink came around recently!

"Where Pokemon came from, and where they are going... If we can learn that, I believe we can get along even better!" Juniper's statement brings a smile to Lucas' face.

"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder why these amazing guys stand by our side," Bianca adds.

"We're going to check further ahead. Team Plasma might be around," Black says, walking further into the cave.

"Hilbert, hold up!" White chases after him in hopes to catch him. Lucas leisurely follows behind.

Black comes by a bridge, and suddenly the Shadow Triad appear around him again. "You guys again?"

They grab the black protagonist and drag him off across the bridge. Once they reach the other side they release Black, and the first one says, "There are stairs going down ahead. Team Plasma is waiting for you there."

"Eh?" They then disappear, leaving Black on the other side of the bridge alone.

"Black!" White calls out to him. She runs along the bridge to reach his side, not noticing the beeping going on under her. Lucas hears it and his heart cringes; he knows that sound better than anyone inside that cave.

"It's a bomb!" Lucas forms an Aura Sphere and takes a step on the bridge, firing his attack at her back. This sends her flying across the bridge, landing into a rising Black's arms. He falls on his back, just as the beeping gets louder.

The bombs underneath the bridge explode, destroying it. The cave shakes from the soundwave released. Lucas is blown away along with chunks of the bridge, one such piece scratching his left cheekbone. Bianca and Juniper head to the explosion site, just after Lucas falls to the ground. He clutches his wounded cheek in pain, as Bianca cries, "Lucas! Are you okay?"

"No! It really hurts!" he shouts back, blood running down his hand, seeping through his fingers.

Downstairs in the basement floor of the cave, N can be seen walking to a pair of carved steps, but before he could he hears the explosion go off. Some dust and pebbles fall from the ceiling, and he says, "What the?"

"Professor! Bianca! Lucas!" Black calls to them. His eyes couldn't believe what happened; Team Plasma has set bombs to try and kill his friends. This isn't what he was expecting.

"Black, White, keep going! N wants you two to take on Team Plasma!" Lucas shouts out to them. Before speaking he stands up and rubs his cheek with his left sleeve, hoping to stop the blood. He then says, "You'll have to go alone!"

"What about you guys?" White asks them.

"We'll be fine. Try not to do anything crazy until we reach you!" Juniper says as she takes out a dab to clean his wound.

"Alright! Look after Lucas for us!" White says to her, heading towards the carved steps just up ahead with Black by her side. They reach the basement level, where there are more floating stones. A male Team Plasma grunt can be seen pacing left and right. White says, "Hey, you!"

The grunt notices her and says, "You two... You came here simply because somebody manipulated you. If you win I'll tell you the secret!"

The grunt sends out Scraggy. Black prepares to choose one of his Pokemon, but that's when White tosses one of her balls out. Out pops Scolipede. "Scolipede, Venoshock!"

"Hi Jump Kick!" Scolipede fires a liquid poison at Scraggy, canceling its jump kick.

"Megahorn!" Scolipede charges at Scraggy, ramming it with its horns. Scraggy faints.

"Argh! I can't believe I lost so easily! And to a girl!" he complains, retrieving his fallen Pokemon.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"So, what is the secret?" Black asks him.

He scuffs, saying, "Yeah, like I really know. Go further in and ask our Lord N."

"Fine!" White pushes him back and runs ahead, Scolipede and Black chasing after her.

The next grunt they run into is a female. She spots them and takes out a ball. "It's you guys!"

"I got this one. Go, Sir C!" Black sends out Krokorok.

"Trubbish, Poison Gas!" Her Pokemon Trubbish releases a poison gas at them.

"Sir C, dig underground!" Sir C does just that, while Black and White cover their mouths. The crocodile rises up, and then pounds the garbage Pokemon and making it faint.

"Shit!" she curses, retrieving her fallen Pokemon. "Lord N is further ahead. He seems for some reason worried about you two of all people."

"Doubtful." White retrieves her Pokemon and passes by them, while Black calls back Sir C and follows her.

This continues a few times. They would run into a Team Plasma grunt, who would challenge them, and they would get into a battle. Once their Pokemon won they would say that 'Lord N' is close by. The last grunt leads them to a pair of steps going up. White leads her brother up the stairs, to confront this person themselves.

Up the stairs they look around to check their surroundings. White spots the destroyed bridge not too far away. "There's the bridge."

"N might be near by," Black says, looking around for the green haired trainer. He does spot the exit though, and as if by coincidence the leader of Team Plasma right there. "N."

"Many different values mix together, and the world becomes gray... That is unforgivable!" he says, using a tone faster than normal. But then again he always talks fast. "I will separate Pokemon and people, and black and white will be clearly distinct! Only then will Pokemon become perfect beings!"

"How can you say you want to split two living beings who rely on eachother?" Black questions him.

"Because that is my dream! It is the dream I must fulfill!" N replies with a strong voice. "Don't you have a dream, Hilbert, Hilda?"

The twins take a moment to pause. Black nods and says, "I had a dream, but after this entire journey I had to rethink it. Now, I'm not sure what I really want."

"Well, I do have a dream, but it doesn't involve you butting in at all," she says to N. "I'm sorry, but your dream will only make humans AND pokemon sad."

"...I guess it would be impossible... Someone without a dream can never understand me!" His voice shocks the twins, who back away to look at eachother. "I will just crush you both here and now!"

N sends out two Pokemon for battle; Boldore and Klink.

"Go, Hana/Joltik!" The twins send out two Bug types.

* * *

Agito: *drinks black coffee* And this ends this chapter.

Yusei: *sips cream coffee* How can you drink coffee like that? Are you hardboiled?

Manabu: *sips latte* Anyway, next time Black will be taking a break from gym battles.

Yusei: *lecherous blush* And he meets the Heaven's High Flying Girl, a real beauty of a woman.

Manabu: I don't get why you like her that much. Why does everyone like her that much?

Yusei: Are you kidding me? Now, let me just say on record that the clerk lady from the Ferris Wheel, Trisha, is one hot tomato.

Trisha: Aw, thank you.

Yusei: And that sky chick makes her look like a pig!

Trisha: Hey, fuck you!


	7. Chapter 7

**Journal Entry 7: Black's Sky High Adventure**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.**

Kenshin: The 7th chapter will finally begin! Here, Black and his friends travel with Skyla to several places.

Yusei: First to Nimbasa to meet Elesa, and... some troubles... And second stop to Nacrene for more trouble the size of a bird.

* * *

"It is the dream I must fulfill!" N replies with a strong voice. "Don't you have a dream, Hilbert, Hilda?"

The twins take a moment to pause. Black nods and says, "I had a dream, but after this entire journey I had to rethink it. Now, I'm not sure what I really want."

"Well, I do have a dream, but it doesn't involve you butting in at all," she says to N. "I'm sorry, but your dream will only make humans AND pokemon sad."

"...I guess it would be impossible... Someone without a dream can never understand me!" His voice shocks the twins, who back away to look at each other. "I will just crush you both here and now!"

N sends out two Pokemon for battle: Boldore and Klink.

"Go, Hana/Joltik!" The twins send out two Bug types.

"Rock Slide!" Boldore stomps the ground, sending rocks from above to fall down onto the Pokemon.

"Hana, Protect!" Hana forms a barrier over herself and Joltik, blocking the boulders.

"Joltik, Electroweb!" Joltik spits a spider web with electricity coursing through it at Boldore.

"Charge!" Klink floats before Boldore and releases an electromagnetic wave around it to take in some of the damage and reduce it. "Charge Beam!"

"Hana, use String Shot!" Hana fires threads at Klink, wrapping the gear up. The Charge Beam fires and misses Hana and Joltik. "Razor Leaf on Boldore!"

"Electroweb!" Joltik spews at Klink, restricting its movements even further. Hana showers Boldore with a flurry of sharp leaves.

"Boldore, Power Gem!" Boldore collects energy at the orange crystal on its head and fires it at the two Pokemon, knocking them away and horribly injuring them.

"Hana!" Black calls out in worry for his Pokemon.

"Joltik!" White cries out as well.

'Their reactions show they care...' N thinks as he looks at them. "Power Gem!"

Before Boldore could fire, Black forgets about the battle and runs to the two bug types and shield them. His back receives a horrible wound and blood shoots out, before he falls down to the ground. White pales in fear and runs to her brother, shouting, "Hilbert!"

Hilda kneels before him, helping the teen onto his knees. "Hilbert! Hilbert, are you okay?"

N turns to his Pokemon and retrieves them inside his Pokeball. "My friends getting hurt; that's what a Pokemon battle is."

"What..." Black turns his body to sit and face N.

"I can never pursue my ideals with something as meaningless as a battle! As if that could make me worthy to become friends with the Legendary Pokemon!" N shouts, pointing at Black. "You having to shield a Pokemon is proof."

"Black! White!" A voice calls out to them. Coming up to the three trainers are Professor Juniper, Lucas and Bianca. Lucas still has a little bit of blood coming from the cloth he's using on his face.

"Bianca, you have good ears. Thanks for picking up Hilda's voice," Lucas says to her.

"Thanks..." Bianca says with a small blush, looking at her friends the twins. She then notices N and asks, "Who is he?"

"Professor Juniper, what are you thinking?" N asks the adult. Black and White retrieve their Pokemon. "You appear to have no qualms about the relationship between Pokémon and people. You put Pokémon into categories using arbitrary rules and think you can understand them like that... The very idea of a Pokédex revolts me. What do you have to say for yourself?"

Juniper tilts her head a bit to the side, and crosses her hands over her chest. "Oh, my. Looks like you're not my biggest fan... But your opinion is understandable. It happens to be different from mine, and that's understandable. How about if all people get to decide for themselves how to relate to Pokemon?"

N pauses for a moment, and an angered expression rises on his face. "You're saying I should just allow people to think whatever they want and treat Pokémon however they want, no matter whether the Pokémon suffer? I refuse to tolerate the existence of a world like that!"

N then walks away, leaving the cave and the five of them alone inside. Juniper sighs at his action, and turns to the young trainers saying, "Well, I didn't expect him to change his mind right away. But I hope he'll spend a little time trying to understand how others feel."

"Still," Black begins, gathering everyone's attention. He tries to stand, but the pain in his back forces him down on his knees.

"Black!" Bianca runs to the teen, noticing his wound. "What happened?"

"He protected one of his Pokemon from a finishing blow," White says, helping her brother lay down on his front.

"It's okay. I just nee-gaah!" He cries out in pain before he could finish his sentence.

"Don't worry! There's a hospital in Mistralton City! Get going!" Juniper says to the trainers. Lucas, who drops his bloodied cloth, grabs Black on the other side and carries him with White outside the cave. "Good luck, Black..."

Elsewhere...

Elesa is busy at a photo booth working her modeling career. The photographer stops his pictures and says, "Elesa-san, we need more emotion. Try and be shocked, or concern!"

"Jack, I don't-" Elesa suddenly gains a shocked look in her eyes, the type of look one gets when their hearts stop suddenly. Jack goes 'ah' and snaps photos, as Elesa holds onto her heart area. 'What just happened?'

Later That Evening...

"AAH!" Black shouts in pain as he climbs back into bed. He fell out trying to hit Lucas in the back of the head for his joke about the nurse sponging him. He gets back into bed, sighing with displeasure. White looks out the window, in the hospital for humans they're inside, and sees the sun setting in the distance. The color orange paints the skies, giving a beautiful look. Black sighs and looks up at Lucas, saying, "This really hurts!"

"Yeah, Pokemon attacks tend to be really painful... Still, it could have been a lot worse," Lucas says as he taps his bandaged face. After Lucas got checked up the doctors took a look at his wound; there's no infection, but there will be a scar. "Had it been Team Rocket they would have had the entire cave fall on us."

"Don't say that Lucas!" White says to him. "N may be misguided, but at least he's not trying to take over the world! He's doing a just cause."

"If he's doing a just cause then why did that happen to Black?" Lucas asks her, pointing to the injured Black.

"Black just jumped in the way; it was an accident!" White says to him. "We just have to remind him that humans aren't evil."

"I think it's pointless," Lucas says, turning away with his arms crossed.

"How can you say that?"

"People can't change that easily," Lucas replies to White. "Besides, organizations like his can only make things worse for everyone. He's obviously hiding a secret motive, just like that Ghetsis guy."

"But I bet Cheryl isn't..." White whispers under her breath.

Lucas grits his teeth angrily and lunges at her, gripping the woman by her shirt collar. He shouts, "What's that?"

"You heard me! You're willing to blame everyone but her, aren't you?" White shouts back, looking into his eyes. Lucas' eyes tense up as she continues, "She's a part of Team Plasma! If you're going to hate N and Ghetsis, hate Cheryl too!"

Lucas grows even angrier at her at the moment, angrier than he's ever been. It looks like he's about to yell at her, but instead he calms down and releases her. The more he thought about it, the more she's right. He still loves Cheryl, so there's no way he can be angry at her. "I'm sorry."

"Lucas," Black says, finally speaking up. "I can't forgive Team Plasma for what they're doing, but I can't hate N. He seems to be the only one in that group that's truly honest."

"That's very admirable of you, Black." The group turns to the doorway and spot Juniper there walking in.

"Professor!" White exclaims.

"I'm glad you're feeling better Black... You are, right?" Juniper asks him. He nods, and so she says, "Oh good! You've been through a lot this whole journey, have you?"

"Yeah. I don't regret any part of this though," he replies. "Once I heal up in two days or so I'll be fine."

"Good. I'm returning to the cave to recover more data. For Pokemon and people to get along better, we need to take steps to know more about them," Juniper says and leaves out the room. "Bianca's here to see you too."

"Eh?" After she leaves, Bianca comes running in to see Black in bed. "Bianca?"

"Black! I'm so glad you're okay!" she says to him, tears coming down her eyes. "Seeing you like that really scared me."

"Well, I'm okay now. Just need to rest," he tells her, lying his head back on his pillow. Bianca walks over to Black and hands him a pot of daisies. "What's that?"

"It's a get well gift. So, get well," she says, blushing hard as she looks at him. Bianca then walks away, leaving to rejoin the professor.

White sighs and walks to where Bianca left. "She really likes you, doesn't she?"

"Of course she does. We're all friends," he tells her.

"I think she means romantically," Lucas says to him.

"What? No way! Why wouldn't she tell me?" Black asks him. White chuckles at his question, leading him to state, "What's that about?"

"You still don't know anything about women, do you?" White asks him with a smirk. She then frowns and says, "It's getting late. We'll sleep here for tonight."

"Yeah, good night guys," Lucas says as he sits in a seat and lies back.

"Good night, Hilbert, Lucas," White says, scooting in bed beside Black.

"Hey, get out!"

"I'm not sleeping in a chair, get real!" she tells him, lying in bed to take her sleep. "We've shared the same bed before when we were kids."

"That was then, now you're bigger! Grow up!" he tells her.

"Don't tell me what to do! It's not like something bad's gonna happen, right?" White says to him with a grin.

Black sighs and remains looking in his direction, ignoring his sister. "Whatever."

"See? Quit being a worrywart." White lies down in bed, her eyes closed as she falls asleep. Lucas does so as well in a chair and Black eventually manages to sleep.

The Next Morning...

An airplane lands in the Mistralton Airport. After it's depressurized and situated, the passengers leave out and are examined before exiting the airport. One such person is accompanied by the pilot. He is a man near his senior years who resembles Juniper quite a bit, and his escort/pilot is a woman around Elesa's age who has red hair with a hairpin propeller in her hair.

Back at the hospital White and Lucas are walking out of the hospital. Lucas says, "Black still needs some time before he can leave, right?"

"One more day," White says to him. She looks up at his face and then says, "You know, you can take that off now. I'm pretty sure it's healed."

"But it's only been one day," he tells her. Still, he removes it anyway, and what's left is a scar, one that overlaps his scar to make a cross. He borrows Black's Pokedex and looks at himself through the reflection. "Huh. It actually looks cool."

"How can getting hurt look cool?" White asks him. "You probably have more scars on you!"

"I don't care where I get hurt, as long as my scars are visible," he says to her, turning away.

White nods and says, "Well put."

"So, what are invisible scars?" Black asks him.

"I was trying to sound cool, let it go." White sighs and walks towards her brother after hearing Lucas' response. The male twin grumbles as he lies back in bed, looking up at the ceiling.

"I wanna go outside," Black says, rising up from his bed. White pushes him back down.

"No, you stay down! If you try to walk when you're still healing you could reopen the wound again." White warning falls on death ears; Hilbert is keen on leaving.

"I wanna go out! If I stay in here all day I'll snap!"

"I have a game for you; it's called 'Shut Up and Escape The Pillow'!" Lucas pulls the sheet over Black's head, tucking it underneath him.

"Hey! Get me out!" he complains. Eventually Black manages to dig himself out.

"You should listen to your sister," a voice from the other side of the room speaks. The trio look at the hallway exit, and spot the red head and the other adult entering the room. The man then says, "Hilbert, Hilda and Lucas, right?"

"How do you know our names?" Lucas asks him, walking closer towards the brown haired man. He acquires the pokedex and looks through it. "Hey, give that back!"

"So, Hilbert has seen 79 Pokemon... You've also seen a Klink! You're becoming quite the trainer," he says, returning the Pokedex to Lucas. "I am Cedric Juniper, former professor of Pokemon evolution and you've met my daughter Aurea, right?"

"...Oh! You're Professor Juniper's father?" White realizes first, pointing at the adult.

"Yes. My daughter as told me a bit about you three, especially the dangers you two have gone through just yesterday," he says, referring to Black and Lucas. He then jesters to the girl beside him, saying, "This here is Skyla, Mistralton's gym leader."

"Wow, really?" Lucas takes a moment to look at her, taking notice of her blue two piece sort of outfit and red hair. She's showing more skin than Elesa.

"Nice to meet you guys," she says, holding her hand out to Lucas. He shakes it, and looks back at the others. Skyla walks over to Black and holds a hand out to her. "You're Hilbert, right? Then you must be Elesa's boyfriend!"

"Eh? How do you know that?" he asks in surprise while shaking her hand.

"Elesa and I are good friends. We even used to model together!" Skyla says to him, smiling while still holding his hand. Once she realizes this she releases him, a small embarrassed flush on her face.

"Well, if you're a gym leader then I would like to face you... But, can it wait until I'm healed?" Black asks her, allowing the woman to take note of his condition.

Skyla frowns for a moment, before saying, "Well, it might be longer than that. I have to make deliveries tomorrow in my airplane, and I won't be able to return for a while. I'll be making stops in Nimbasa, Nacrene and Black City."

"Damn... I'd hate to wait that long... We can come with you though!" Black says, sitting up in his bed to look at her. "I wouldn't mind going to Nimbasa."

"To see Elesa, right?" Her foresight dead on, Black blushes for a bit while looking away. "Okay, right when you heal up."

"Black, are you sure you should do that?" White asks her brother.

"I'm fine White. If I can get hit by an attack like that then I'm old enough to make my decision," Black says to her. "Quit acting like mom."

"Oh fine, and I don't act like mom!"

The Next Day...

"Time to reach for the stars!" Skyla says before her plane begins lifting up off the runway. In their seats White and Black hold onto their mouths, while Lucas looks out the window with a smile. He marvels in amazement at seeing the ground from high up. From looking at the others he can tell they aren't used to flying. He's done it so many times it doesn't affect him.

Their first stop is in Black City, a modern city of ongoing development that draws people to it. It's situated beside the White Forest, a place where nature and people live in harmony. Skyla had to unload some cargo with the help of Lucas, and soon they were on their way for Nimbasa, which would only take until nighttime.

Upon landing in Nimbasa, Black, White and Lucas exit first. They unload the cargo and bring it to its destination, the Musical Theater. After the task Elesa spots them within the theater. "Black?"

"Elesa," Hilbert says, looking back at the blond woman. She walks up to him, and hugs the boy. He cringes in pain at her touch. "Ow, ow, ow, don't squeeze so tightly!"

"Oh, sorry! What happened?" Elesa asks him, not knowing about his recent injury.

"Black was injured in a Pokemon battle. He's okay now, but the wounds are still getting to him," White explains to her. Listening to it, Elesa's eyes widen in horror before she turns to look at Black.

"How could you put yourself in danger like that?"

"I didn't want Hana or Joltik to get hurt anymore than they were. It's a trainer's job to take care of Pokemon, isn't it?" Black's statement fails to change Elesa's fearful expression. "Elesa?"

"...Hilbert, despite your noble actions, you need to remember that your life holds value too," she tells him, her voice chalked full of sadness and hesitation. "Everyone you know will be sadden if something happens to you, especially me."

"Elesa..." Hilbert couldn't find his voice hearing her speak like that. It's like she choked up the moment she heard he was hurt. It's not near how White or Bianca felt when they saw it, but now that she's right in front of him he can see how deep her feelings run. No way his dense behavior can miss this. "I'll be more careful."

"Well this is sweet," Lucas says, crossing his arms and turning towards White and Skyla. They couldn't help but 'aw' watching them talk to one another.

"Since you're already here I was hoping we could spend a little while longer here. I'm free for the week," Elesa says to the others, leaving Black's arms to look at them.

"Wow, that sounds great." Black thinks about all the possible things they could do in this city. "Skyla, what time do you need to delivery the last of the cargo?"

"By tomorrow afternoon. We'll have time for a little goofing off!" Skyla then runs over to Black and Elesa, hugging them by the back of the neck.

By Sunset...

Black and Lucas appear by a bar at this time of day, dressed in casual suits bought on Elesa's expense. Lucas adjusts his shirt and looks around for the girls. "I wonder when they'll get here."

"Yoo hoo!" White calls out to them. The trainers turn to look at them, their mouths gaping open to see their new dresses; Elesa is wearing a special dress version of her normal outfit, with her yellow shirt extending to be a long skirt exposing her left leg, her legs wearing black stockings and bright yellow shoes. She also has a choker with black wings behind her neck. Skyla has a short light blue shirt skirt with cobalt straps resembling her usual outfit and gloves that extend to her shoulder bones. She has a choker with blue wings, and her dress gives a low cut view of her breasts. Hilda is dressed in an elegant black satin dress that leaves her right shoulder and neck bone exposed. She has a white rose attached to her left shoulder portion, and she wears white shoes.

Hilbert and Lucas look at the women with their eyes unable to leave. Lucas manages to smack himself to reality, before shaking Black back to normal. He says, "Wow, you guys look so pretty."

"Thank you, Black," Elesa says to him, blushing a little at his comment.

"Let's have a great time!" Skyla says as she throws a punch into the air. "We'll get a few drinks, and have a great time!"

"Wait a second... You mean you only wanted to come here to party?" Lucas asks Skyla.

Skyla shakes her head from side to side, smiles, and says, "Nope, I'm using the delivery to Nimbasa as an excuse to party with Elesa! You guys don't have to if you want!"

"I never said that!" Lucas states.

"Then let's go!" White grabs Skyla and Lucas' arm, heading inside the bar.

The Next Morning...

Dawn breaks at six a.m.. Black raises his arms up in the air, yawning out loud as he wakes up. His eyes open up as he looks up at the ceiling. His head gives off a horrible painful feeling, the kind one gets when they have a hangover. He closes them again and turns to his right, his left arm slapping across to the other side of the bed.

His eyes shoot back open when he realizes he touched a mound of flesh. It's soft, has a weird bump, and there's a second one beside it. Lifting himself up from the bed he sees Elesa. Her arms notice his presence and she grabs hold of him, hugging the black protagonist. He backs off, shouting, "Gieehe!"

Elesa opens her eyes and grabs hold of her head, which throbs just like Black's. "Black? What...Why are we-"

"My head hurts!" Black complains, grabbing hold of his head now. He then notices she is naked, and the blood goes rushing to his head and down under. "How did I get here?"

"Is that an arm on your shoulder?" Hibert looks down on his chest, and sees a feminine arm around him. Looking back he spots Skyla resting on his back. She's naked as well. "SKYLA?"

"Gowaaah!" Black falls out of bed, Skyla and Elesa going with him. The fall awakens Skyla, who holds her own head in pain too.

"Ah, my head... Oh, hey Black! Elesa?" Skyla soon realizes the situation she's in; their clothes are spread across the room, they woke up in bed, they each have a hangover, they're both naked, and they're in a hotel instead of the Pokemon Center. Once everything comes together she screams, leaving Elesa to do so and then Black.

In a different room, Lucas can be seen lying hallway on his bed and on the floor. He holds his throbbing head in pain, looking up at the ceiling as he wakes up. "What happened?"

"Lucas, get me down!" White calls out. Lucas looks at a corner in the ceiling, and sees a yellow spider web has held White in place. Luckily, she's wearing... It looks like she's wearing his clothes.

"How did that happen?" he asks her.

"Don't ask, just blast this web, dragon boxers!" she shouts at him, referring to his boxers with dragon Pokemon on them. It's the only thing he's wearing actually. He fires Dark Pulse and cuts her out of the web, leaping to catch her. "Thanks."

"Why are you wearing my clothes?" he asks the woman, who blushes out of embarrassment.

"I have no idea... Where are-"

"Can you guys get me out too?" A third voice freaks them out, leaving them to look into the bathroom of the hotel. They walk inside and see a hiker spider webbed into the bathtub.

"Who are you?" Lucas asks before he begins removing the webs by pulling them.

"I'm Andy, and you guys kidnapped me!" he shouts at them. "You guys were seriously whacked out of your mind!"

"...Where Black?" White asks herself.

Later At 7...

Black, Elesa, White, Lucas and Skyla sit together at a round table, in the hotel's kitchen area. The silence continues to plague the air, along with the environmentally friendly air conditioning. The couple and Skyla couldn't manage to look at one another. After their breakfast is delivered, Lucas breaks the ice and asks, "So, does anyone remember what happened?"

"...I remember some thing..." Skyla says, rising up the interests in all four of them. "I remember... going to a bar with you guys... Then White wanted to try the strongest alcohol in the place..."

"...I did?" White asks, shocked to hear that.

"We each decided to have a cup... and then everything afterwards is just dark for me..." she says, looking down at the table.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you two during!" Black suddenly blurts out to Skyla and Elesa, bowing his head to the table. "We did it, didn't we?"

"Well," Elesa begins, placing a hand on her head. "I'm not even sure we did."

"I didn't see any blood," Skyla adds, cupping her chin while thinking. "If we did then I would be bleeding."

"Wait, did what? How did you guys wake up?" White asks them. She then puts two and two together, and gasps. "Black, how could you? Just because they wouldn't remember doesn't mean you can take advantage of them!"

"I didn't...Did I?" At that last part he turns towards the girls with a questioning look.

"I believe there's a good chance we didn't have sex. Besides, I really wouldn't have minded..." Elesa whispers that last sentence herself. She's hoping Black wouldn't take this too badly and break up with her. 'It's been so long since I've been with someone who wasn't some celebrity chud.'

"Let's just continue with what we were doing. We'll pretend none of this happened," Skyla says, smiling in hopes to cheer them up.

Back To That Night...

_The group of five enter into the bar, noticing a bunch of people drinking. But then again you wouldn't go to a bar not expecting that. Skyla immediately says, "Let's start with those drinks!"_

_"Alright!" White shouts with anticipation._

_"Hilda, we can't drink," Hilbert reminds her._

_"One glass isn't going to ruin me for the rest of my life!" White tells him, spinning as she enters the room._

_"You only live once, Hilbert," Elesa says to him, grabbing hold of his left arm and pulling him further in._

_Skyla goes to the counter and asks the male bartender, "Can we get five martini based liquors?"_

_"Don't have 'em," he tells her, causing the red head to pout._

_"Whaaaat? Then, give us your finest drinks!" Skyla tells him. Skyla then heads back to return to her friends._

_"You got it, for five!" he says, going back to retrieve some drinks. After mixing up and shaking up a drink he pours it into four cups. He goes back to retrieve a fifth, when a guy with silver hair walks up to the bar and notices the four drinks._

_"Hey, you got those drinks I 'specifically' requested?" he asks the bartender._

_"Yeah, they up there," he says to him. The silver haired guy doesn't really know which one he was talking about, so he grabs the four drinks in front of him, instead of the four beside it._

_Skyla returns to the desk and notes the four drinks that aren't for her. The guy finishes up the fifth drink and places it on the table. "Here you...go?"_

_"Thanks!" She takes the alcoholic drinks, unaware of who they're really for. Skyla then returns to the others, handing them the drinks. Black takes the last one made._

_"Let's have great time tonight!" White says, lifting her glass up and gulping down half of it. Elesa, Lucas and Skyla do the same, drinking all of theirs._

_Black lifts his glass up, but someone bumps into him and causes him to drop it. "Argh!"_

_"Sorry man!" That guy says before he continues to walk away._

_The bartender then makes it a point to say, "No refunds," before pointing up to a sign behind him._

_"Don't worry, you can have the rest of mine," White says, handing him her drink. He sighs before drinking it, his body cringing from the strong alcoholic taste._

_Elsewhere in the bar four guys lift their drinks up in the air before one of them says, "To Manabu's wedding! May he and Amelia stay together for a long time!"_

_"Kanpai!" The others say, including the spiky black haired one who just so happens to be Manabu. The silver haired guy smirks a bit, drinking his glass first._

_"Yusei, thanks for setting this up," Manabu says to the silver haired trainer, taking a sip of his glass. "I just wish this day could become more memorable."_

_"Don't worry. I've already taken care of that." 'With the flunitrazepam in these drinks, this will be a great night for all of us.'_

Back To Action...

The airplane piloted by Skyla takes off, with all five of them inside flying for Nacrene City. Black couldn't look at Elesa after the events that unfolded, believing he might have done something terrible to them. Not only that but he can't even remember it. 'What was in those drinks?'

"Black, don't feel bad. We can't remember anything either," Elesa says to him, taking hold of his hand. "Let's just move on from this."

"...Sure..." Black mutters as they head off into the sky. He leans back in his seat, glancing out the window to spot Castelia City below. "How's your modeling?"

"It's doing okay. I hope we weren't too drunk last night that I ended up doing something regretful," Elesa says, cupping her chin with her free hand. "There would be nothing but scandals and lies about it."

"And we'll all be in it," White adds, cupping her face in horror.

"It can't be that bad. We probably got off lucky," Lucas says as he ignores her plight. In a louder voice he asks the captain, Skyla, "What's the next stop?"

"The last stop is in Nacrene, to the museum," she says to him as they near the city. It doesn't take long for them to reach the airport, and the landing is perfect. After landing Lucas and Black go to work unloading the stuff off towards the museum.

On their way to the museum they come across professor Juniper, who was just about to enter from the front. "Ah, Black, Lucas, White, Skyla and Elesa! What brings you here?"

"Making a delivery Professor," Skyla tells her as Black and Lucas enter in from the back of the museum. Skyla, White and Elesa stay by the professor instead. "How are you doing?"

"I'm great! It's good to hear Black is okay... I was worried he would be in the hospital longer, or at all," Juniper says, thinking back to the time Black was harmed by Boldore earlier this week.

"I'm glad as well," Elesa says in a worrying tone as she looks to the ground.

"How's Lucas' wound?" Juniper asks them.

"He got hurt too?" Elesa exclaims.

"Lucas is fine. He just has a scar," White says, remembering what she saw. "I'm just glad they're both okay."

"I am too," Juniper adds. She spots Lucas and Black returning to join up with them.

"That's the last shipment, so what's next?" Lucas asks, throwing his hands behind his head. Black sits down on his behind, digging into his backpack. "What's with you?"

"Hold on a sec; this fossil is killing my back," he says, taking out the Plume Fossil he got from that hiker.

"You have a fossil?" Juniper asks in surprise, looking at the feathered rock. "It's a genuine Pokemon Fossil!"

"A what?" White asks.

"Oh, so it used to be a Pokemon that is now extinct?" Skyla asks the Professor.

"Of course. If you brought it to my lab, or Lenora's, then you could use the proper technology we have to restore a Pokemon from it," she says while taking the fossil in her hands.

"Well, we're here, so we might as well try it," Lucas says, taking out his own Fossil.

"You have the Cover Fossil!" Juniper squeals unprofessionally. She quickly regains her composure, much to the surprise of the others, and turns to the museum. "Ask the lady at the front desk to your right. She can help you."

"Thanks!" They head inside the museum, which hasn't changed at all since the last time Black, Lucas and Elesa came here.

Black and Lucas approach the lady at the right front desk, and the diamond protagonist says, "Hello ma'am. We're hoping to find someone who can help us with these fossils."

After showing them the fossils, she says, "Incredible! You have honest to good fossils! It'll take an hour in total to turn each fossil into a Pokemon, so come back later."

"Okay, thanks," Black says before he walks out of the gym. Lucas and White follow after him, with Elesa following close behind. Outside of the building, Black sighs and asks no one in particular, "What am I gonna do in an hour?"

"I can help with that." Elesa walks up to Black and takes his left arm, walking with him towards the food district.

White and Lucas sigh, knowing Elesa plans to spend quality time with her boyfriend. Lucas turns to White and says, "I need you to capture the Pokemon I get for me."

"What?" she asks in confusion. She then thinks about it, and remembers his condition. "Oh right. I'll keep it safe for you."

"Thanks," he says, walking off into the city alone.

"We've got time before I return home, so let's go do something fun!" Skyla says, taking hold of both of White's hands.

Later after the hour has passed, White and Skyla head to the food district to find Black and Elesa. There the two girls find Hilbert and the supermodel kissing. White and Skyla make jeer sounds, bringing them out of their intimacy.

Black and Elesa come out of their making out to see his sister and her best friend. Blushing, Black says, "You know, you could have made grunting noises."

"Nah. This is a Kodak moment," White says with a smile. "Besides, it's time the fossils were done."

They head towards the museum, where Lucas is standing with an ice cream bar in his mouth. "Bout time. They should be done by now."

"Don't give me that!" Black replies. The five trainers head inside the museum, and approach the front desk where the lady comes up to them. "Hello? We're here for our Pokemon."

"Here you go! The Plume fossil gave birth to an Archen, and the Cover fossil restored a Tirtouga." She hands them each two Pokeballs. Black takes the first and White takes the seconds.

Upon leaving the museum Black sends out his Pokemon, and gets an Archen. "Huh. It's a bird afterall."

White sends out Lucas' Pokemon, and gets a Tirtouga. "Oh, it's a turtle."

Black takes out his Pokedex and scans the Pokemon, but before he could finish it jumps up and lands on his head. Archen then begins picking at his head. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Black smacks his Pokemon off, and then finishes his scan. "Archen, the First Bird Pokemon; It is said to be the ancestor of all bird class Pokemon. It possesses no ability to fly, and is faster on its feet. It moves quickly through the branches, using its speed to capture prey."

"It's a carnivore?" White asks before Archen leaps up and bites down on his ear.

"Damn it!" Black tears his Pokemon away, but it runs off. He clutches his bleeding ear in pain. "Archen, get back!"

"Black, are you okay?" Elesa asks out of worry. He takes out a cloth and uses it to wrap his ear up.

"I'm going after it. He may just need a little kick in the pants," Black says before he runs after his Pokemon.

"Black, wait!" Elesa chases after Black, leaving White, Lucas and Skyla behind.

"Allot of this happen all the time?" Skyla asks the others.

"All the time for me," Lucas says before he chases after the couple.

White holds up her Pokedex to Tirtouga and scans the slow Pokemon. "Tirtouga, the Prototurtle Pokemon; 100 million years ago this Pokemon could dive to depths below half a mile. They could also go on land to catch prey."

Elsewhere...

Cheryl walks up the stone stairs of a dark tower. Inside she could see various Pokemon living as if nothing disturbed them, but once they saw her they parted and gave way. Cheryl continues up the stairs while rubbing her forehead. "Only a few more steps until I reach the top."

As she walks her mind wanders to her father, and then to that guy Lucas. Her heart skips a beat thinking about him, and so she grips it trying to overcome it. 'What is this feeling? I barely know him and I can't stop thinking about him... He's just a stalker, right?'

She continues up to the top level, the walls making eerie ghost noise from the wind blowing through their holes. Cheryl soon reaches the top floor, where she sees a white stone, out of place compared to the rest, sitting in a spotlight of sun. Cheryl walks towards the stone and picks it up.

"I've found it, the Light Stone," she says, raising the rock up in the air. "With this, the power of Reshiram rests within the palm of my hands. Dad and N will be so proud."

"Yes I will," a voice speaks. Cheryl turns to her left to spot her father Ghetsis.

"Father!" she says in shock.

"Do not worry. I am simply a hologram casted by the headband you wear," he explains, calming the woman from her shock. His eyes trace the white stone, and he says, "Good job, Cheryl. With that stone, and the other one in your bag, nothing can stop N's goals of success."

"Yes, father." Cheryl places the stone to the ground and removes the black stone she has in her bag. "Both Zekrom and Reshiram fought eachother in the past, but their battle resulted in them using too much power and their bodies being destroyed in the process. Reduced to stone, they now seek a hero, a container to fully revive..."

'But why did he want me to locate-' Before she could finish, the black stone glows bright blue, sparking with pure electricity. It takes off, flying through the walls of the tower south of its position. She's so distracted by it she forgets about the floating white stone, glowing bright red. "Why did Zekrom's stone..."

Ghetsis remains silent as he witnesses the event, before going out.

* * *

Kenshin: This ends this chapter. Finally.

Yusei: Next time Naruto faces off against Long using his...Oh, wait... Wrong script!

Manabu: Here. *hands him Gray Adventure's script*

Yusei: Here we go; Black manages to tame Archen, when it turns into Archeops, and faces off against Skyla in a gym battle. N returns too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Journal Entry 8: Jet-Lagged Gym Battle**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

"Get back here!" Black continues chasing after his runaway Pokemon. Luckily for him it can't fly so he can keep track of it. "He's pretty fast for a flightless bird!"

"Go, Emolga!" Elesa sends out her Pokemon Emolga male. "Volt Switch!"

Before the flying squirrel could make his move, Archen leaps at him and summons rocks out of midair to pummel Emolga. It falls to the ground, leaving Archen to rapidly peck at him. Emolga is left on the ground, having fainted.

"Emolga!" Elesa runs to her fallen pokemon. "Archen's physical capabilities and speed are already at a high level."

"Archen, come back!" Black calls out to his Pokemon, before it runs off. He gives a tired exhale, saying, "I can't believe Archen ran away like that."

"Just because a trainer catches a Pokemon in a ball doesn't mean they can capture its heart. It can simply leave," Elesa tells him, making him sigh once more.

"I know..." he says, watching the little bird hop in a tree. He then holds out a Pokeball and sends Date to the battlefield. "That's why I'll show it I'm a great person to be with."

Archen gives out a powerful shriek. It then breathes out a translucent beam of green energy at Date. "Date, use Scald!"

Date uses his hot water attack to stop the beam, causing an explosion. Archen leaps at Date, performing several acrobatic attacks. "Acrobatics!"

"Date!" Date falls to the ground, fainting from that last blow. Archen then lands before the otter, before it glows brightly. "What the?"

"It's evolving? So soon?" Elesa comments out of shock. The Pokemon grows in size, and as the light dies out Archen looks like a grown up version of itself. The Pokemon then growls.

"What's that?" Black takes out his Pokedex and scans it. "Archeops, the First Bird Pokemon; They are intelligent birds of prey who are willing to cooperate to get what they want. From the ground they use a running start to take flight, reaching speeds that surpass automobiles."

Archeops takes flight shortly after Black's Pokedex entry. In the air it grabs hold of him by the shoulders and continues flying away. Elesa leaps at Hilbert to catch him, but the First Bird has already taken to the skies. "Hilbert!"

"It's okay! I'm fine!" His words of reassurance don't do much to help her, since there's a certain presence of fear being hidden in his voice.

"Capture it in the Pokeball!" Elesa calls out as she chases after him. Date follows his trainer as well.

"That won't calm it down!" Black says to her before Archeops lands on a building. The landing causes Black's head to hit the pavement, knocking him out. Archeops glares down at him before leaning down to bite at his head.

Date drops his macho brace and races towards the building, using Scald to blow it away from his trainer. Date then jumps onto the roof, growling at the bird Pokemon. Archeops growls out loud, releasing Dragonbreath. Date stands before Black and wields both his scalchops to block.

Unfortunately both of his weapons fly out of his hands, and Date takes the full force of the attack. Using Ancient Power, Archeops summons rocks out of thin air and launches them at the otter, who takes the blows to protect his trainer. Falling to his knees, Date manages to stay conscious glaring at the towering bird Pokemon.

Elesa comes out from the rooftop entrance, using a barrel to keep the door open. "Black!"

Date manages to stand on both feet again, and growls out to the sky. His body begins to glow, shocking both Archeops and Elesa. Date grows bigger, stands on all fours, and has a horn on his head shaped into a helmet. His swords have merged to his arm this time. He is now Samurott.

"Date evolved..." Elesa says out of shock.

Archeops fires Dragonbreath, but Date had other plans. He jumps in the air, taking Black with him, and draws a huge blade from his left forearm. Gathering water to the sword Date comes down on Archeops with Razor Shell, splitting it in two... Okay, not really, but Archeops does faint.

Eventually Black wakes up, and Elesa comes running to them. "Ouch, what happened... Date?"

Date lets Black down, who continues staring at his evolved Pokemon. "Date! When did you evolve?"

"Black!" Elesa grabs the young trainer and hugs him as tightly as she could. In an almost crying tone she speaks, "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Elesa?" Black holds her by the shoulders, but instead of pushing her off he hugs her. "I'm sorry I wasn't careful."

Elesa looks back at him from the side of his head, and suddenly pulls away, embarrassed for some reason. She then notices Archeops is getting back up to its feet. Date glares at the bird, and it covers in his presence. Black looks back at his Pokemon and scans Date. "Samurott, the Formidable Pokemon; the seashell armor on its forearms function as its swords and scabbards. With one glare it can silence most Pokemon, and a howl dominates them completely."

"Wow. Date is on another level now!" Black comments as he looks at his Pokemon. His eyes trace over to Archeops, who is still intimidated by the water type, and he returns it inside its ball. After calling back Date he picks himself and Elesa up, and they head for the door holding hands.

When they reach the bottom, White and Lucas are there waiting. White asks, "You guys alright? We heard from other people that a bird Pokemon captured a teen."

"Things are cool now. I think it's time we head back to Mistralton," Black says to her, smiling to reassure her things are okay. With things okay for them they head for Skyla's plane, and she flies them back to Mistralton.

Afterwards they head for the Pokemon center for the night, and Black goes to work on his team while everyone's asleep.

The Next Day...

Dawn breaks into the mid-eastern sky, or western... One of them! Anyway, our protagonists are now waking up. Elesa and White arise from their shared room to get ready, while Lucas and Black sleep in a little more. Eventually Lucas wakes up, and sees Black still snoozing.

"Hey, wake up! It's time for training!" Lucas says to him, nudging the guy awake. Black opens his eyes and yawns. From the yawn Lucas could tell he stayed up for a while. "You stayed up training, didn't you?"

"Only until 1 a.m..." he says, giving a second yawn afterwards. Lucas then looks back at his Pokeball belt, seeing they're numbered six in total.

"What Pokemon are you bringing this time?" The diamond protagonist asks him.

"Leangle, Date, Archer, Zeros, and Sir C," he says to Lucas.

"Archer?"

"Archeops... Oh yeah, during training I learned that Date and Archer are kind of at eachother's necks," he explains, remembering a time he sent Samurott to battle Archeops. "It seems Archer wants to be strong, and he sees Date as someone he cannot surpass... Or that's what I'm guessing."

"Then don't send them out in a double battle." With that, Lucas gets dressed along with his student. Afterwards they meet up with the girls, eat, and head for the gym.

Black spots the gym down a runway, so he jets as fast as he could towards it. Before he could reach it though, Skyla exits the gym, as if she was waiting for them. She waves at them, saying, "Hi guys!"

"Skyla? Shouldn't you be inside for the gym battle?" Black asks her before he stops a few feet before her.

Before she could answer, her smile turns into a frown. "Actually, I have something to do first. We'll have to wait for our battle."

"What? Why?" he asks, seeing how she has this serious expression on her face.

"Well, I was out by Route 7 and heard what I believe is a hurt Pokemon at the Celestial Tower. I came back to close up the gym so no one would come right away, and then you guys showed up." She explains to them. Stepping forward she takes Black's right hand and says, "I might need your help Black."

"Really?" Hearing that he might have to help her sparks Black's motivation.

"Then we should all go," Lucas says to her.

"No, just Black will do. He is, after all, a trainer who will be challenging me." Skyla then takes off with Black, saying, "We'll be back!"

As they leaves their sight, White continues looking in that direction. Lucas then comments, "She's really something, putting off a gym battle to help an injured pokemon."

"I would have done the same thing," Elesa says, smiling to herself.

"Why did she only want Black though? She doesn't exactly know him that much," White says, thinking about the situation a little more.

Lucas takes a moment to think more as well, and then asks White, "Where is the Celestial Tower?"

White checks on her Xtransceiver, and it views it just near Route 7. "Just northeast of here on Route 7, why?"

"Because I would love to see what happens next," Elesa says before following after Black. Lucas does so as well, leaving White in the dark.

"Wait up! What's going on?"

The Top Of Celestial Tower...

Black and Skyla exit the tower up onto the roof. At that height Black couldn't help but look in awe at everything below him. After walking through ghost pokemon central they come to where the pilot has told him the injured pokemon rests.

"Where is it?" he asks, looking around for the injured Pokemon. His eyes see nothing but a giant bell positioned before everyone. Skyla walks over to the bell, making Black feel compelled to go. "Skyla?"

"It's kind of funny how life can turn things around on you..." Skyla says as she looks at the bell. "First you're traveling the world in a jet giving deliveries, and then you're on top of a tower with a trainer who you slept with once."

"Eh?" Black backs away suddenly from her remark.

"I lied about the pokemon getting hurt," she confesses, turning around to face him now. "I wanted you to come alone so I could have you go through a test. Ring this bell."

"That bell?" Black walks towards the giant bell.

"Celestial Tower's bell is for soothing the spirits of Pokemon," Skyla says to him with a faint smile. "The character of the person ringing the bell is also reflected in its sound."

"...You brought me up here just to ring a bell?" he asks as if it was the worse thing in the world. She nods, and he takes a moment to absorb its appearance with his sight. "I'm not sure-"

"Oh, don't be so shy!" Skyla pushes him towards the bell, and luckily he stops just ahead of time so he wouldn't fall on it.

Black takes the string of the bell and pulls. The bell rings about four times before it stops. The sound of the bell reverberates through the skies. Skyla takes in the sounds it gives, her heart fluttering with content. "What a pretty sound."

"Really?" Black turns around to face Skyla now.

"That sound given has told me a bit about you... Now I see what Elesa likes about you," says Skyla with a faint blush. "The sound had a gentle tone to it so it shows that you have a kind heart, and the impact it gave reveals your inner strength. You're definitely strong inside!

"And then-" Her blush rises faster, giving her face a close shade to her hair. "-there's also a deep ring hidden inside, and that tells me you hold a passionate heart as well."

"P-Passionate?" he asks out of confusion. "Isn't that the same as kindness?"

"Not the way I mean it... I was referring to love," she says, surprising the protagonist. "Last night I had a dream, visions of that night. The night we can never remember is returning in my dreams."

"What did you see?" he asks her. Skyla looks away with a blush.

_"Black, leave that kid's bike alone!" White says this to Black who has stolen a kid's bike._

_"No way, stupid asshole! I wanna ride on a telephone wire!" Black says this as he tries to climb a ladder to a lamppost._

_"I MISS CHERYL!" Lucas cries as he receives a dance from two strippers._

_"Pillow fight!" Skyla shouts this as she, White and Elesa engage into a battle of pillows._

_"Hey! Get out of my room! Not you three! You stay and continue your panties pillow fight..." Andy says to the five of them, before White sends Joltik to capture him._

_"Okay, now give me your underwear so we can sleep together naked!" Elesa says with a giggle as she and Skyla pull off Black's underwear._

"It's best that you don't know," Skyla says as she tries to get her blush under control. "All you need to know is that you didn't force us to do anything."

"Thank goodness..." he says, falling to his knees out of relief.

"Anyway, now for the real reason we're up here." Skyla steps over to the stairs leading down inside the building. "As the gym leader of Mistralton City, I hereby accept your challenge! Each trainer will use three Pokemon for this battle; no one gets to switch out until the end. Got it?"

"Sure thing!" he shouts with anticipation, his anxiety from earlier hearing Skyla talking about that night gone. "But can't we just battle at the gym?"

"We could, but it wouldn't be easy to battle if there was no roof," Skyla says as she holds up a ball.

"Fine by me then! Go, Date!" Black sends out his starter, Samurott.

"Going with a strong guy right away, huh? Go, Swoobat!" Skyla sends out her Pokemon, the Psychic/Flying type Swoobat.

"A flying type, and her name has 'sky' in it... Your specialty is Flying Pokemon!" he exclaims.

"Uh huh!" she answers, confirming his suspicions.

"Slash!" Date draws a sword from his left arm scabbard and dashes towards Swoobat.

"Heart Stamp!" Swoobat takes flight, avoiding Date's blade. He then howls, but his battle aura fails to cause Swoobat to flinch. Swoobat then comes down and strikes Date from behind.

"Don't fall back! Slash!" Date swings behind him, but Swoobat takes flight and escapes him. 'Date isn't good with aerial combat.'

"Acrobatic!" Swoobat flies down and strikes Date several times.

"Date, return!" Black retrieves his Pokemon, right when another Heart Stamp came his way. He then sends out a new Pokemon, Archer.

"Wow, an Archeops! So Archen evolved!" Skyla says out of amazement.

"Yup! And he's gonna tear you up! Archer, Ancient Power!" Archer takes flight, reluctantly, and summons rocks out of no where to strike the heart bat.

"Amnesia!" Swoobat uses psychic powers to increase its special defense, taking Ancient Power without trouble. "Heart Stamp!"

"Crunch back at it!" Archeops flaps its wings and soars towards the bat, its teeth wide open for a strike. He dodges Swoobat's nose kiss, and bites down hard on its left wing.

Archeops then tosses Swoobat away to the battlefield, where it faints. "Oh no, Swoobat!"

"Alright!" Black cheers, and Archer releases Dragonbreath out of triumph.

Skyla retrieves her Pokemon and holds out another ball. "Time for another shot, ready?"

Skyla sends out her next Pokemon, Swanna. She spreads her wings and calls out. Archer continues flying, and growls at her. "Dragonbreath!"

"Aerial Ace!" Swanna takes flight and avoids the dragon attack. Flying over Archer, Swanna dive bombs his back and hits him to the ground. "Bubblebeam!"

"Dodge and use Acrobatics!" Archer runs away and takes flight with that running start, before turning to face Swanna. Before he could make a strike he gets hit by Bubblebeam, crashing onto the side of the building. "Archer isn't doing so well against a water type."

"Swanna, Aqua Ring!" Swanna surrounds itself in a veil of water.

"Hit it with Acrobatics while it's using support!" Archer spreads its wings and flies towards Swanna, but it's notably slower than normal. Archer attacks Swanna, but the hits are rather weaker than they should be. Swanna barely even flinches. "What's going on? Acrobatics should be strong enough to weaken Swanna!"

"Archeops' ability is more of a hindrance than a support," Skyla says to him.

"Eh?"

"Defeatist is Archen and Archeops' ability, and it weakens their attack and speed, both high status' to them, when half their health goes down," Skyla tells him, shocking the clueless trainer. "Of course I would know this; Archeops is a flying type, after all."

'Damn.' "Archer, return!" Black holds out his Pokeball to retrieve his Pokemon.

"Bubblebeam!" Swanna fires at Archer, knocking it out before it could be captured. Having fainted, Black scowls as he retrieves his Pokemon.

'I'm guessing his best feature is sweeping right away.' Black thinks as he places Archer on his belt. "I'm sorry for that. I'll do better next time."

"You know Black," Skyla says, getting his attention. "You can't let a Pokemon losing a battle get to you so much. It's not always your fault."

"Of course it is... I'm the one sending it into battle, so I should know its full potential," he replies, enlarging one Pokeball. "They rely on me to become stronger and win battles. Them getting hurt only means that I've failed them."

"Nobody's perfect." Skyla's statement takes him by surprise, since he would never expect her to say something like that. "You have to realize eventually that you will fail sometimes, and your Pokemon won't always hold that against you. As long as you do your best and thank them for their hard work they can never hate you."

Black takes a moment to think over what she said. 'Is that true?' Putting that at the back of his head for the moment, he sends out his next Pokemon, Leangle. The small arachnid Pokemon releases a short burst of electricty, showing it's ready for battle.

"I'll try to do this, thanks Skyla," he says as he gets ready for battle.

"No problem. Let's continue," she says as Swanna soars over the tower. "Bubblebeam!"

"Electroweb!" Leangle releases threads empowered with electricity, which pops the bubbles and captures Swanna's left leg. Leangle crawls up to Swanna and grabs onto her stomach. "Attack with Bug Bite!"

Leangle proceeds to biting Swanna, irritating her like an itch. "Take flight and shake Leangle off!"

Swanna takes to the skies and spirals into the air, hoping that would shake off the annoying spider. Leangle, unable to handle the turbulence is forced to let go. "Air Slash!"

"Electro Ball!" Leangle forms a ball of electricity and fires, just as Swanna releases a cutting wind.

The electric ball manages to pulverize Swanna, dealing four times as much damage. Swanna crashes onto the tower, having fainted. Leangle is hit by the Air Slash, but manages to stand back up. Skyla calls back her Pokemon with a sigh. "You did great, Swanna."

"That's two. Ready to surrender?" he questions her.

"Not by a long shot." She sends out Unfeazant female. The bird type takes flight and glares at Joltik. "This may be my last Pokemon, but I'll never give up hope!"

"Me neither! Leangle, Electro Web!" Leangle fires electrified strings at Unfeazant. It flies away to avoid it, at a speed that makes it look like it disappeared.

Unfeazant appears behind Leangle. "Air Slash," and strikes Leangle.

"Leangle, return!" Black says, calling back his Pokemon. He then holds out his other Pokeball, with Date inside. He then sends him out, and the samurai roars out into the sky.

"Unfeazant, use Quick Attack!" The pigeon flies towards Date, who draws both blades this time.

"Slash!" Before Date could react Unfeazant strikes the otter in the stomach. It then makes a second Quick Attack, striking the left shoulder. 'This isn't working. If she uses Air Slash again I might be able to use that.'

"Razor Wind!" Unfeazant takes to the skies and gathers wind around it.

"Here it comes, get ready." Per Black's advice, Date prepares himself for the incoming attack.

"Attack!" Unfeazant releases Razor Wind at Date.

"Scald!" Date's boiling water hits both blade winds, creating a misty smokescreen. "Now, Slash!"

Using both blades, Date leaps in the air at Unfeazant through the mist, and slashes at the bird. Unfeazant flies off to the side and glares at Date, still in pain from the double blade attack. After landing, Date eyes and tracks Unfeazant in the skies. "Air Slash!"

"Razor Shell!" Date slashes using his left blade, releasing a water slash that repels the wind move. "Scald!"

Unfeazant avoids the scald, and strikes using a Quick Attack. "You won't be able to defeat Unfeazant with random attacks!"

"Date, return!" Black calls back his Pokemon and sends Leangle out. 'It's time to do that thing Lucas taught me; improvising!' "Leangle, connect an Electro Web to the bell and pull on it!"

"Huh?" Skyla watches in confusion as Leangle connects a string to the bell and causing it to ring once. It remains in this position. "Just what are you planning? Air Slash!"

"Jump away from the thread and use Electro Web!" Leangle leaps away from the string, dodging the air slash at the same time. He then spits out a net at Unfeazant, who dodges at the last second. "Electro Ball!"

Leangle fires a ball of electricity at the bird. She circles around it and uses Quick Attack to strike Leangle. The insect lands, having fainted. "That's two!"

"Thanks for your hard work, Leangle," Black says as he recovers his Pokemon. He then sends out Date. "Don't worry, Date. The stand has been set."

"Razor Wind!" Unfeazant prepares its next attack.

"Scald!" Date fires at Unfeazant, who flies out ot the way. Taking note of the string he begins to understand Black's plan, and uses his boiling water to draw Unfeazant closer to the bell. Date then stops.

"Fire!" Unfeazant fires at Date, who jumps towards her at the last second. The wind scythes slice the thread, and the bell falls out of its lock. It then rings, distracting Unfeazant from dodging.

"Razor Shell!" Date slashes at Unfeazant, K. her. Date then lands before the bird, sliding the blades into his arm scabbards before howling in victory.

"Wow." Skyla couldn't help but look at Black in shock. She hadn't seen that coming at all. Thinking over his expertise at that last part makes her blush a little. "Being your opponent is a new source of strength for me."

"Really?" Black retrieves his Pokemon and approaches Skyla.

She returns Unfeazant to her ball and says, "You're an amazing trainer. My Pokemon and I are glad to have battled you, because for the first time in a while we could fight with our full strength."

"Well, I'm glad. You were strong too," he says, throwing his hands behind his head and smiling.

Skyla then takes out the Jet Badge and hands it to him. "This is my official badge. I'm sure it'll look good on you."

"Thanks," he says, looking at the badge as it gleams in the light. "I'll be sure to get stronger, so you'll know it was no mistake."

Black holds his hand out to Skyla for her to shake, but instead she leans forward to hug him. Feeling her assets touching his chest, he couldn't help but blush, and turn to the side so she wouldn't notice his rising boner. "Thank you. Keep on becoming a better trainer, and a man Elesa will always be there for."

"How can I when you're all over him?" Her voice speaks. Both trainers widen their eyes in shock and look to the entrance, to see Elesa, White and Lucas there. Almost immediately, Black and Skyla separate from one another. Black continues to hide his shame.

"I'm sorry about that Elesa! I have no intention of stealing him from you!" Skyla says in an attempt to calm her down. Elesa simply sighs, showing her face has no emotion towards what happened at all.

"It's okay. I know you wouldn't," she says, walking pass her towards her boyfriend. "I am glad you approve of our relationship. Black really is the best boyfriend I've had in so long."

"Really?" he asks with a grin on his face.

"Of course," she says, taking her arms around his neck and hugging him. While the teen blushes, she continues with, "As a super model I get a lot of requests and people asking to be escorts. I wanted to try something new for once and be with someone who didn't talk about shit I didn't care for; their botox, their taebo or their Xbox. Plus, you saw me for someone other than my looks."

"Well, of course I did. You're a great trainer, and a good-hearted woman." Black states with a smile, trying to hold down his blush.

"Good job Black. All that's left are the last two badges," Lucas says to him.

"That reminds me!" Skyla says suddenly. "When I flew over Twist Mountain on the way to Icirrus City before our trip... Team Plasma—is that the name? Anyway, they were heading for the city. What kind of people are they?"

Black, Lucas and White's eyes all shoot up hearing that. White then says, "Are you sure?"

"Uh huh." Lucas then approaches Skyla.

"How do we reach Icirrus City?"

"Icirrus City, where you'll find the next Gym, is past Route 7, just after you cross Twist Mountain," she says, giving out instructions with the use of her hands. "It's a hop, a skip, and a jump when flying, but it's a really challenging walk, so heads up! Make sure you're ready for it!"

"Thanks," Lucas says. The five of them then head down the stairs for the Pokemon center. Outside the doorway they spot N. The diamond protagonist glares at the green haired guy. "You!"

"N?" Black raises an eyebrow in shock seeing him here. White is surprised as well, but looks away.

"They say it is for understanding one another better, but what trainers really use battles for is to compete..." N begins, looking down as he speaks. He then raises his head and shouts, "They hurt eachother's pokemon!"

"N, I think we've been over this!" Black says to him.

"I know I can't be the only one who finds this terribly painful... Send out Victini," N says to him, pointing to his Premier Ball.

"How did you-"

"I want to talk to your Pokemon." His statement causes Black to inhale and exhale within seconds. He then sends out Zeros. "I've been living with Pokemon since I was born, so it's easier for me to talk to them than people; Pokemon don't lie."

N then speaks with Zeros, asking, "Victini, can you tell me what kind of trainer Black is? Like where he came from and what is his heart like."

"You can't ask me?" White speaks.

Zeros then speaks to N, telling him all about Black. N says, "I see... Hilbert was born in Nuvema Town, lives with his mother Zelda and his sister Hilda. He received a Pokedex from Juniper to start off a journey to see the world, and is in a relationship with someone. The rest is just filler about your good points and faults.

"Still, this pokemon trusts you for obvious reasons, and that's good," he says, lifting up Zeros and placing him on Black's head. "It makes me wish everyone could care for Pokemon the way you do, so I could watch over the future of people and pokemon without having to liberate their from humans who would just use them."

"N, you can't keep lumping all humans together! Team Plasma is doing-" N raises a hand up to her.

"Ghetsis is using Team Plasma to search for some special stones, the Light Stone and the Dark Stone. These two stones hold the essence of two legendary Pokemon inside that lost their physical form in a battle long ago," he says, intriguing the older members. "Trapped as stones, they seek out a human body to revive, and a hero's arrival to resume their battle... I shall resurrect one of them from their imprisonment and become its friend. That will show the world that I am the new hero."

"What kind of hero forces people to do things they don't want?" Lucas questions him.

"My vision is to change the world without using force, or else others will just resist." N states, shaking his head. "If people resist, they'll use Pokemon, and they'll get hurt. You understand, right Hilbert?"

Everyone turns to Hilbert, who looks away uncertain. N then shouts, "Pokemon are not tools for wars! So Pokemon and trainers who care about one another, like you and your Pokemon, will be separated. And that breaks my heart a little."

With that he walks away with a sad look on his face, heading for Twist Mountain. Lucas sighs out of depression. "I really feel like he means it. Maybe he's a good person after all."

"I've been telling you all this time... he really cares for Pokemon," White says, just as sad as he is.

"Let's go guys. Skyla and I have to heal our Pokemon," Black says before heading back to the city. Along the way he asks Lucas, "How did you know we were battling?"

"It was Elesa's idea," he says, turning to Black's girlfriend. "She says that Skyla would try to get trainers to ring the bell to see what kind of person they were, and would refuse to challenge anyone who didn't pass."

At that Skyla smiles cheaply. "It's what I do. I didn't feel comfortable challenging you until I knew what kind of person you were. I know it isn't custom, but-"

"That seems so familiar," Lucas says, his mind going to someone else he remembered who wouldn't give him his badge until he passed a test.

Elsewhere...

"Achoo!" Clair sneezes on 20 year old Ethan's face, causing them to end their makeout. "My bad!"

"It's okay," he says, reaching out to grab a tissue and wipe his face clean. He then tosses it to the floor and resumes making out with Clair.

"Let's not rush. I went through the trouble of buying that swimsuit you wanted," Clair says as she slides her left leg up his.

Later That Day...

"Your Pokemon have been restored to perfect health. Please come again," Joy says, handing Black his Pokemon. He then places his balls on his waist and prepares to shove off; that is a weird sentence.

"So, our next stop is Icirrus City, through Twist Mountain," Black says as he looks at the map. Skyla is already back at the gym, having healed her Pokemon ahead of him.

"We could leave now. It'll be cold soon," Lucas says as he adjusts his hat. White looks up at his face and begins to stare. "What?"

"Your scar... It looks like an X," White says, pointing to his left cheek. She then pokes it. "Like Kenshin."

"Who?"

"Rurouni Kenshin, from that manga," Black says to him.

"It does look cool," Elesa says as she looks at Lucas. She then walks to Black and places a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go with you on this journey for now until I'm needed back."

"Thanks." With that they set out, heading for Twist Mountain. Reaching Route 7 Black and White's Xtransceivers start ringing. They answer it, and on the screen pops the other sibling, and their mother. "Mom?"

"Mom!" White exclaims.

"Hilbert! Hilda! It's good to hear from you again! How's the training?" she asks them.

"We're doing good!" White replies.

"Can't be any better!" Black adds.

"Really? Well, good... So why is it that you guys are on Forty Mile Zone acting like you're drunk?" she questions them with a serious, motherly tone.

Their mother then forwards them pictures done by FMZ, showing them the escapades of their drunken night. White's face becomes appalled at what she sees, and Black looks away in shock. He then suddenly turns off the Xtransceiver, and keeps walking. White does the same, regardless of the fact that she knows it will piss off mom.

"Let's pretend that didn't happen," White says as she follows her brother. They continue towards Twist Mountain, coming before a set of steps leading inside.

"Guys!" Turning back the four trainers spot Cheren coming up behind them. "Black, I challenge you."

"Me?" He points to himself upon hearing him.

"We both hold the Jet Badge now, so let's see which of us is stronger." Cheren holds out the Jet Badge.

"When did you get that?" Black asks him.

"Just now. Let's go!" Cheren sends out his Pokemon starter Snively. It has already evolved to its final stage, Serperior.

White takes out her Pokedex and scans him. "Serperior, the Regal Pokemon; Serperior can stop an opponent's movements with simply a glare. It also takes in solar energy to boost itself internally."

"Okay, fine. Let's go, Leangle!" Black sends out his Pokemon, the electric bug type Joltik.

"Leaf Blade!" Snively's tail glows before he swings at the mite.

"Take to the trees with Electro Web!" Leangle fires a thread at a nearby tree, and pulls himself to escape Snively. Seeing an opportunity Leangle let's go and lands on his tail. "Bug Bite!"

Leangle bites down on the tail, irritating the snake. Snively then whips the mite off of him. "Leaf Tornado!"

"Leangle, Signal Beam!" Leangle fires a rainbow beam of energy at Snively, but the leaves knock him off balance and he misses. Lucas holds up a barrier to block the beam.

"Leech Seed!" Snively fires a seed at Leangle.

"Electro Web!" Leangle fires a net at the seed, causing it to latch onto it.

"Pretty slick," Cheren says as he adjusts his glasses. "Snively, Leaf Tornado!"

"Electro Ball!" Leangle fires a ball of electricty at Snively, but it did rather little damage. "What?"

"Electro Ball is only at its strongest when the opponent is slower," Cheren explains. Snively's storm batters Leangle, knocking him into a tree. "Leaf Blade!"

"Electro Web!" Leangle spits a net at Snively, but it slices through like a hot knife through butter. Parts of it stick to its side and causes it to stick to the ground. "Signal Beam!"

Leangle fires a beam at Snively, striking his face. "Not bad."

"Of course! I can't let my partners get hurt so easily," Black says with a grin.

Lucas smirks and looks away. "At least he isn't running into danger."

"Thank goodness," Elesa says with a smile.

"Leangle, this is where it counts! Stay strong!" Black says as his insect crawls over to the battlefield. Before reaching them it begins to glow, shocking everyone watching. "Evolution already?"

'Galvantula.' Elesa's smile widens as she witnesses the Pokemon turn into a giant tarantula.

Black holds out his Pokedex and scans it, just like White and Cheren. "Galvantula, the Elespider Pokemon; When attacked they defend themselves by creating an electric barrier out of threads. Their webs are strong enough to paralyze prey, leaving it to consume it as a leisurely pace."

"Let's try it out then. Electro Web!" Leangle fires a net at Snively.

"Leaf Tornado!" A whirlwind of leaves gather around his tail, leaving Snively to use it and slice the net apart.

"Signal Beam!"

"Dodge and use Leaf Blade!" Snively slithers in the grass, avoiding the many firing attempts from Leangle. Leangle then leaps into the air to avoid its tail.

"Use Electro Web and follow up with Electro Ball!" Leangle spits three threads at Snively, who slithers about to avoid him. One more thread shoots out of his mouth, and sticks Snively on the face. Leangle then pulls him out of the grass, landing before his trainer. Using his front legs, Leangle forms the Electro Ball and tosses it at Snively. The strike does greater damage than normal due to Leangle's increased speed. "Signal Beam!"

Leangle fires at the snake, giving a direct hit to the stomach area. Snively collapses to the ground, unable to get back up. He faints afterwards. "Snively!"

"I guess Hilbert wins this battle!" White says with a smile on her face. "You did good though Cheren!"

"Yeah, but what is it to be truly strong?" he asks himself as he retrieves Snively. "Good job."

"That was a fine battle!" A voice speaks. Everyone looks up at the top of the cliff of stairs to see Alder standing at the top. He walks to the stairs to group with them.

"Alder!" Elesa speaks as she looks up to the Champion.

"Hey Elesa," he says to her.

"If it isn't the champ... I'm weak, so I lost," Cheren says to him. "How can you call it a fine battle?"

"Sheesh, just take the damn compliment!" Alder states with a sigh. " I mean really, what do you plan to do after becoming strong?"

Cheren pauses for a moment and says, "If I get strong and become a Champion, that will be the proof of my existence!"

Alder laughs hearing him. "You remind me so much of Marshal. Having a dream is important, but what is more important is what you can do when you accomplish that dream.

"Anyway, here you go," he says before tossing over two CDs. They both grab it, and it turns out to be HM03 Surf.

"What's this, a TM?" Black asks as he looks at it.

"It's a Hidden Machine. They're like Technical Machines, except they teach special moves required for travel," Lucas says to him.

"This is my first time seeing one," Lucas says as he holds it up to the sky.

"I got three others," Cheren says as he pockets his HM.

"Me too." White takes out HM 01, 02, and 04.

"When did you get those?" Lucas and Black ask her.

"Elesa gave them to me," she says, gesturing to Black's girlfriend.

"Mmhm. I didn't think she wouldn't tell," she replies.

"Surf allows a water type, or any Pokemon that can learn it to swim over bodies of water," Lucas explains for Alder.

"Thanks. I'll leave you guys to your journey," he says as he heads towards Mistralton. "Don't forget about the needs of your Pokemon."

Alder then vanishes into the forest. Lucas turns to Cheren and asks, "Have you found an answer?"

"I don't know yet... First I'll become strong, then I'll make everyone know who I am," Cheren replies. He then turns to Black and says, "Next time, I'll win."

Cheren leaves, going up the stairs into Twist Mountain. Lucas walks up the stairs towards the entrance. "You guys ready for the next adventure?"

"Of course!" Black shouts before he retrieves his Pokemon. Elesa, White and Black join up with Lucas in that order, before they enter Twist Mountain.

Inside they spot Cheren with Gym Leader Clay behind him. "Oh, you guys."

"Clay?" Elesa speaks, noticing the gym leader.

Clay laughs a bit upon seeing them. "What a surprise. Seein' ya here while I was inspectin' Twist Mountain. Th' two of ya seem a bit more rugged than the last time I saw ya. A li'l bit, anyway..."

"Really?" Cheren asks in a sarcastic tone.

"By th'by... You folks seen that Team Plasma crowd lately? After all the trouble, we Gym Leaders met up and had a chat. But we've got no clue where they are. It's like they're hidin' under a rock," he says, crossing his arms over his chest and turning towards the mountain path. "Well, not much to do but wait for 'em bastards to move. Anyhow, this's none o' yer concern," at this he begins to grin. "Ya little squirts should just enjoy travelin' with yer Pokémon. Twist Mountain's a fine place to explore! You'll have some fun if you just leave this here path... Weeell... Better ya just see it yerself, 'stead o' listenin' to me yammer. Be seein' ya, sprouts! Feel free to train yerselves on my mountain fer as long's ya like."

Clay walks off, leaving the Twist Mountain. Cheren then says, "Huh. I was sure he was going to guilt us into another job. I'm heading in."

Cheren heads further into the cave. Black sighs and follows down the path, spinning his arm to stretch it. As the group heads into an opening, they spot that the mountain has turned into a mining site. Lucas walks towards the stairs, saying, "Let's check the stairs."

"I don't think it's a good idea to just wander," White says to him, walking over to grab his arm.

"I've been here before. Follow me," Elesa says as she heads for another door-less entryway.

"You heard the girl; let's bolt!" Lucas says, following after his friend's girlfriend. They go up and down the mountain, running into trainers who battled them and items for the picking. They come before a walkway that leads to the outside, blocked by Cheren and a Team Plasma grunt.

"You're strong," he says, holding his chest while panting. "But you're only strong because you trainers are controlling Pokemon!"

"So if you want to set Pokemon free..." Cheren begins, walking closer to the grunt. "If that's what you want, you should start with your own. But taking other Pokemon from people by force is just wrong. That isn't real strength!"

A female grunt comes walking in from the outside and approaches them. "Hey, there you are! We found it at the tower!"

"Really?" The grunt then turns to the trainer Cheren, and Black and the others. "Get this! Team Plasma has obtained the power to change the world and end human's control over Pokemon!"

"That's right!" she says, placing her hands on her hip. "We're going to right the wrongs of the world even if we have to use force!

"To N-sama!" The grunts run off, leaving the trainers inside the mountain.

Cheren scuffs. "Whatever they do I'll just pay through them," he says, before turning around and noticing Black. "Oh, hey. I'm gonna stay here for a while. You can go after them if you want."

"Good luck Cheren," Black says as he prepares to head outside the mountain.

"What will you do?" White asks Cheren.

"What I want to do with my power after I get stronger... I want to find out for myself," he says to her. Cheren's next move involves heading further into the mountain. "I also want to remember why I wanted strength in the first place."

White nods as her friends leave the mountain with Black. She then follows after them, entering Icirrus City. Outside the sun has long since descended, and it's almost 10. Black checks the Xtransceiver for the Pokemon center, but before he could head there someone calls out to them. "Hey!"

Looking to their left they spot Cedric Juniper coming towards them. "How's it going guys?"

"Ah, Professor Cedric!" Lucas says as he walks towards him, holding his hand out. The old man shakes with him, before turning to the others.

"How are you two?" Cedric asks them. "Remember to enjoy the time you spend with your Pokemon. The Pokedex is important, but the Pokemon themselves are much more valuable.

"We will!" They say in unison.

"Say, I just had a thought; have you heard of Dragonspiral Tower?" he asks the trainers. The twins look at eachother with a questioning look on their faces, before shaking their heads no.

"I think I've heard of it; Dragonspiral Tower is Unova's oldest building-" Elesa says to them. "-resting just north of our position."

"That's right!" Cedric adds. "Stories tell that it's the place where legendary Pokemon came to life or where they remain in deep slumber," he then turns to the tower just north of their location. "I know it's just past Icirrus, but that's all I know of it. Infact, since no one talks about it that's all anyone knows."

"Really?" Lucas asks curiously, his bad habit showing up a little.

"My daughter wants to investigate it, and she's been working to go there for so long." Cedric laughs a bit thinking about his daughter. "Knowing that there's something one doesn't know about is what adventures are made of. And even though I'm old I can still go out on an adventure of my own! I'mma go have a look at that tower!

"Catch ya later!" With that he takes off for the tower, running past the gym and heading for the tower. A cold chill blows by, almost freezing Elesa.

Black places his jacket over her and says, "Let's get going to the center. It's starting to get chilly!"

As they head for the center a black object jets through the skies, stopping right over the building. It pulses with electricity before circling down towards the center. Black approaches the counter and prepares to talk to the nurse, when the black stone phases through the window and hits Black in his stomach.

"Black!" Elesa calls out, having seen the black orb hit him.

What he feels though is a slight sting in his stomach, almost like an electric current. Touching his stomach he asks, "What was that?"

"Did something just- Black, did something just ram into you?" White asks, walking over to him. She saw the black orb going towards him, but then nothing happened. It's like it disappeared. Lucas saw it too, and he's just as confused.

"What was that?" Lucas asks, walking over to the black protagonist. "You okay?"

Black pats his stomach feeling nothing out of the ordinary. "I'm okay, I guess. I don't think anything really happened."

'Why do I feel like something terrible is about to happen?' Elesa says in her mind as she looks at him. Ignoring everything that just happened, Black continues with his reservation, talking to a nurse Joy who saw that too.

Lucas watches as he heads to his assigned room, wondering what might happen. 'Why did I have to come here? What was Arceus thinking bringing me here?'

Soon they change for the night and eat dinner, before heading for bed. Elesa and White stay in one room, while Black and Lucas go to another. Black shuffles a bit in his sleep, but not enough for Lucas to wake up to.

The sky begins to turn a whiter shade from the clouds forming and the cold air blowing. Snow begins to fall outside, accompanied by a loud growl.

* * *

Kenshin: That ends this chapter.

Yusei: Next time Black challenges the Icirrus gym and N places a heavy burden on Black's shoulders as Reshiram arrives on the scene. Something else shows up too, for our diamond protagonist.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Journal Entry 9: The Tao Dragons**_

Disclaimer: Check next chapter.

Yusei: We're back with another chapter of the Gray Adventure!

Kenshin: Should we redo the story if they do make a third version to Black and White?

Yusei:...Nah.

Kazuki: So today Black and his friends tackle the Icirrus gym. Then we reveal the White Yin Pokemon Reshiram.

Julia: It's the White Yang Pokemon.

Kazuki: Huh?

Julia: Reshiram is yang. Zekrom is yin.

Kazuki and Yusei: It is?

Yusei: So then Zen isn't supposed to be yang!

Julia: Wrong story.

* * *

Black suddenly opens his eyes, looking up at the ceiling to see a white atmosphere around him. Turning to the window he sees that it has snowed. Getting up from the bed he heads for the window to see all the snow, saying, "What's with the snow? It's spring!"

"Hey, quit it with the noise!" Lucas complains as he rises up from bed. He notices the snow and gapes, shouting, "EH?"

"I KNOW!" Black shouts in response. He walks over to his nightstand to grab his pants that has his Pokeball belt strapped on. "This doesn't make sense! How could it-"

He then notices that his belt is missing from his pants. Looking to the ground he sees it lying there. "Why is my belt on the ground?"

"Who cares? It's snowing in late spring!" Lucas comments rudely. "This should be impossible. Even when it snowed in Canalave City it was still close to winter!"

"Hilbert! Lucas! You guys seeing this?" White asks as she enters their room.

"Yeah. It's a phenome-" Lucas pauses when he sees White in her nightwear. He's normally seen White in all types of clothes, from her normal outfit to that dress she wore during their night out to her pjs. But this time she's wearing a nightgown and gray panties. Sexy gray panties. So you can imagine his blush.

Black looks to his sister and quickly shields his eyes, shouting, "Gah, White! Don't come in here half naked!"

"Sorry!" White runs back to her and Elesa's shared room. At that moment Elesa comes walking out the room too to visit Black and Lucas, wearing 'electric' pajamas.

She comes by the room to see Black pulling his pants up and adjusting his shirt. She smiles and says, "I see it's snowing."

"Elesa." Black bends down to pull his socks on and walks to her. "Shouldn't you be getting ready? We're about to hit the streets soon."

"In this weather we're going to need better clothes," Elesa says as she walks over to her boyfriend. "Anyway, I would like to ask you a favor."

"Huh?"

"I was hoping to trade Pokemon with you, Raika for Leangle," she says to him.

Black's left eyebrow rises up. "Huh? Why him?"

"I've become entranced with your electric type, almost as much as I am with you," Elesa says with a smile. She then holds out Raika's Pokeball.

"Uh... I'm not sure I would like to. I mean, what would he think?" Black takes Leangle's ball and holds it up to his face.

"Then, I would like to battle you, Raika vs. Leangle." Elesa's next statement gains his and Lucas' attention. "Then you can decide afterwards."

"...I guess," he says, thinking over his following choice. He then inhales before saying, "Let's go."

Elesa heads for her room, changing into her usual clothes. Black sends out Leangle, and notices he has a bit of wetness on his fur. (yes, Galvantula have fur) "Huh. What's that, snow?"

Leangle makes a soft hissing noise, and nods. Lucas says, "He's says yes."

"How's that? It would only be on Leangle if he was outside when it was snowing," Black says as he puts his hat on. "Whatever... Let's see if you're fit for battle."

Black checks his Pokemon using the dex, and sees that he's in tiptop form. "Alright, time to go see Elesa. If things go well she and I might trade Pokemon. She likes you, so you might be chosen."

Leangle blinks for a moment before looking off to the side thinking. He likes being with Hilbert, but he also thinks Elesa is cute and wouldn't mind if he was traded to her. The time he spent with Black the moment he ended up in his back pocket isn't that personally special to him.

Leangle nods after the long pause, and then Black walks with him towards Elesa's room. They spot Elesa exiting, dressed in her clothes with a snow poncho on. "Ready?"

"Ready." With that they exit the building and head outside into the bizarre snowy weather.

Elesa sends out her Pokemon Raika. "Raika, if things go well this may be our last battle together. Let's both do our best."

Raika snaps her head back in shock hearing her. She then begins to think she doesn't like her anymore. Elesa calms her down by clutching her chin and saying, "Oh no, don't worry. I'm not abandoning you. I want to trade you with one of Black's Pokemon. It isn't so much that I don't want to be with you anymore; infact, as long as me and him are together I can always see you again."

Raika calms down hearing her words. She's right; as long as she stays with Black she can always see her again, and from what she hears from Elesa whenever they're alone she wants to be with him for as long as she can.

"Thank you for understanding," Elesa says to her Pokemon, before turning to Black. "We're ready."

"Good," he says, before Leangle crawls towards the battlefield.

"Battle!" They both shout in unison.

"Raika, Quick Attack!" Raika stomps the ground hard before charging full speed at Leangle.

"Jump and headbutt her side using Electro Web!" Leangle jumps high away from Raika, avoiding her quick attack. He then sticks a thread underneath her and pulls towards the zebra, tackling her in the side.

"Impressive. I'm amazed you didn't hit Raika directly with it," Elesa says. Raika kicks Leangle away.

"Because of Lightningrod I can't damage Raika using electric moves," he replies. "I didn't forget our fight."

"Of course not. Raika, Nitro Charge!" Raika stomps the ground rapidly before erupting into flames. She then charges at Leangle, not at full speed because you would hear a thunder clap, but close enough.

"Signal Beam!" Leangle fires a beam at Raika, and the attack causes an explosion on contact. Raika can be seen running through the smokescreen towards the spider, tackling him with her flaming body.

"Raika, Thunderbolt!" Raika leaps a few paces away from Leangle and fires a powerful bolt of lightning at him.

"Counter it with Electro Ball!" Leangle forms a ball of electricity and tosses it at her.

"Leap into the attack with Quick Attack!" Raika charges headfirst towards the ball, canceling her own first attack. She makes contact, and her body is suddenly sparking with electricity.

"Ah crap... Signal Beam!"

"Thunderbolt!" Raika and Leangle fire their respective attacks, both of which explode on contact. Raika's attack however still reaches Leangle and shocks him. "Nitro Charge!"

Raika dashes at full speed at Leangle, going so fast the sound of thunder reverberates. She tackles Leangle, knocking the spider out.

"Leangle!" Blackruns to his fallen partner, helping him up to his feet. "I'm sorry we couldn't win."

Leangle lowers his head with a bit of shame. Elesa approaches them with Raika by her side. "That was a good battle. It feels as though Leangle's abilities can be used more effectively."

"That's why you want to trade?" he asks her.

"That's partly the reason. I just believe that you can get more out of Raika than Leangle. She's more suited to your style," she says to him, holding out her Zebstrika's Pokeball. "You don't have to do this, it's just an offer."

Black thinks about it for a moment. Even with Leangle's speed he personally feels a little better sending out an electric type more suited to his sweeper style. So eventually, he says, "I'll do it. Is that okay, Leangle?"

Leangle nods in agreement. Black retrieves his Pokemon and hands the ball over to Eelsa. She calls her Pokemon inside her ball and hands it over to Black. The couple exchanges balls before attaching them to their belts, Elesa caressing hers for a while. (That is a weird sentence!)

"Thank you Black. Let's heal our Pokemon before we return to the others," she says, taking his free hand and walking to the center with him. Black doesn't notice, and neither does Elesa, but when he touched her hand his stomach glows light blue for a moment, as if something was pulsating.

Black and Elesa enter the center, and immediately take their Pokemon to be healed. Afterwards they sit in the lobby, sitting side by side. Elesa then asks, "You don't have to worry about Leangle. I specialize in electric types. I know Raika is in good hands with you too."

"Thanks. I feel the same way," he says with a smile. He leans forward and gives Elesa a quick kiss, starting a makeout session between them. After a few seconds they go into a longer kiss, and a touch by Black's hands to her shoulders sends a sudden pulse to her body. The shock puts chills through her body and gives a pleasant excitement in her heart.

Elesa backs away for a moment, her entire face red and her chest rising and lowering every second. That last kiss has taken her breath away, so much so she can't believe he had it in him. 'Wow... What was that?'

"You okay?" Black asks him.

"I don't know..." Elesa says, placing a hand to her heart's area. The familiar jingle goes off, telling them that their Pokemon have been fully healed. "Time to pick them up."

"Right," Black says as they head for the counter. Nurse Joy hands them both two separate trays, with a single Pokeball on each.

"Here's your Pokemon. Please come again," she says to them before heading back into the other room.

Black and Elesa grab their balls and return to their friends. (another weird sentence) Lucas and White can be seen walking out of their respective rooms to join the couple. White asks, "Where did you two go?"

"It's not important. Anyway, we have to go buy some winter wear," she says, gesturing to the window and the snow outside.

"Why do we need to waste money on more clothes?" White asks, gathering shocked looks from Lucas and Black.

"Well for one, your legs are hairless and exposed," Lucas says, patting her right leg. She grabs him by the ear. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Let go!"

"Don't do that!"

"Regardless, we have to by some snow gear, or else we'll freeze to death an hour out on the routes," Elesa says.

One Hour Later...

By Elesa's advice, the four split into two and head into several stores to purchase snow gear. Upon regrouping they show that they've color-coded snowsuits on; White has a white snowsuit on, Black owns a black one, Elesa has a blue/yellow one and Lucas has taken a red suit.

"So we're all ready?" Lucas asks the group.

"Yup," White says. "Where to first?"

"I'm heading for the gym first." Black says as he heads for the Icirrus gym.

"Yeah, I wanna see who the guy he's facing will use," Lucas says as he follows after Black.

"Eh, why not?" White follows after her brother.

Elesa on the other hand has other things. "Black, don't you think you should train first before jumping into this?"

"Train?" Black turns back to her, thinking about what she said. If he rushes into this then he'll just put them in danger like before. "You're right, I do."

"We can head up to the Dragonspiral Tower. There are wild Pokemon surrounding the area," Elesa says as she points north of their position past the gym.

Black and his friends head up to the tower. As they do Lucas' eyes trail up to the sky, where he notices that one of the clouds is a light shade of blue. His aura powers kick in and he spots what looks like a Pokemon's aura in the skies. "What the?"

"Lucas, you see something?" White asks him.

"Huh?" Lucas' powers cut off for a moment as he turns to her. He then returns to the skies, and sees nothing. "Huh... Nothing I guess."

Once the group reaches the tower they spot a spring Sawsbuck wiggling snow off of it. Lucas exclaims, "Wow, look at that."

"It's a Sawsbuck. They change their appearance to match the season... But it's snowing, and since it hasn't changed it knows it's still spring," White says as she checks her Pokedex. "There's definitely something going on."

"Regardless, we can still train here. And I could use a new teammate." Black sends out Zeros. "Zeros, Nitro Charge!"

Zeros surrounds himself with fire and rockets towards Sawsbuck. Sawsbuck jumps out of the way, avoiding the collision as the flames melt some of the ice. Sawsbuck then begins talking to Zeros in Pokemon language.

"Zeros, once more Nitro Charge!" Black says to his Pokemon. Zeros remains silent to listen to Sawsbuck, and turns to Black. He then speaks, unable to actually talk to him, and confuses the brown haired trainer. "Zeros, what's wrong?"

"I don't think he wants to battle him." Elesa's statement causes him to turn his attention towards her.

"Really? Why?" Black asks with a confused look on his face. He returns to his Pokemon, and asks, "Zeros, is there something wrong with me trying to catch him?"

Zeros nods and begins to talk more. Lucas, placing a hand to his head, reads the fire type's head. "I think I know why. Zeros is saying-"

"It's okay," Black says, his eyes flashing red for a split second. "I don't need to know why. Zeros is a smart guy; he wouldn't not obey my orders if he didn't have a good reason."

Zeros smiles and nods to his trainer's words. 'What a great guy. He didn't know that Sawsbuck wants to stay as a wild Pokemon, and yet he doesn't seem to mind... Still, what was that I saw in his eyes?'

"Let's go train in a separate area," Black says as he takes Zeros in his arms and goes off northeast into the tall grass.

"Black, don't trail off!" Elesa says, following after him. White sighs and shrugs her shoulders, chasing after the couple.

"You guys have fun. I'm going to search the rest of the city," Lucas says as he heads back into the city. His random search takes about two hours for him to realize the weather's growing worse. Practically grabbing his sides and shivering, he heads for the closest building at the time, a house southeast of the Dragonspiral Tower.

He knocks for a few seconds before backing away, and a lady opens the door letting him come out. Lucas walks in, saying, "Thanks. It just got so bad out there."

"I know. Thank goodness you got here," she says to him, leading him over to a chair. Lucas removes his snow gear and breathes a sigh of relief, feeling the heat of the room slowly begin melting the ice. "You can stay here until you've warmed up. Would you like some tea?"

"No thanks," he says. He's already in her home; asking for more would go against his good nature. As she heads into the kitchen, a young boy a bit shorter than him enters the room, grabbing a Nintendo 3Ds on the table. "Oh, hey."

"Hey... Who are you?" he asks.

"I'm a visitor. I had to get out of the storm and ended up here," he says, looking out the window at the snow.

"Ah. Where you from?" The kid asks before starting up his game.

Lucas is about to lie and say he was from Nuvema like Black and White, but then he realized that the kid wouldn't know and there would be no harm in telling him the truth. "I'm from Sinnoh."

"Sinnoh? Then you're from another region!" he says, excited about hearing that. "You're just like dad then!"

"Really?" Lucas asks as he digs out more ice on his clothes.

"My dad had this really cool job 3 years ago in this faraway place! I think he was a spy!" The boy's exclamations intrigue Lucas, picking at his bad habit again. "Although I doubt he's real intelligent; he keeps speaking like a Jedi alien."

"What?"

"Dear, my sandals have you seen?" a male voice speaks as footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs.

"They're in the living room!" she calls out. The footsteps head into the living room, revealing a bald man in his early thirties.

"Oh, a guest?" he asks, looking at the diamond protagonist. "Going how's it?"

"...Good, I guess. It's snowing Purrloin and Lillipup outside." Lucas comments with a joking tone. "Thanks for letting me crash here for a few minutes."

"No problem it is!" he speaks, grabbing his toasty sandals.

"Mom, are the rage candy bars ready?" The boy asks as he walks towards the kitchen.

Upon hearing that Lucas' head turns straight towards the kitchen. 'Rage candy bar? Isn't that...' That's when it hits him. "Hey uh, isn't Rage Candy Bar something from Johto?"

"To be it used to. Now main snack at store it is! Recipe during Team Rocket days found I did," he says, shocking Lucas even more.

"Eh? You were in Team Rocket?"

The man then laughs a bit. "That's right! Member of Team Rocket I was, long time ago! But Team Rocket bye-bye a go-go, so I my region went home."

"You came from here?" This is even more shocking to him. Up until his journey through Johto he hadn't even heard of Unova, and it turned out he came from here.

"Make new Team Rocket I did! Myself so I pledged... But now I married am, and now for Team Rocket there is no time by me. But happy family is big hooray!" He declares, sitting on the couch and taking out a newspaper.

'Wow... He gave up trying to revive Team Rocket... I guess even their members can change...' Lucas sighs as he thinks about that. "Well, good for you."

After a while Lucas' snowgear has toasted up enough for him to leave, and the snow has lessened a bit. Ready to return to his friends he leaves the home, wearing his now warm snowgear and venturing through the snow. He continues towards the Dragonspiral tower, since that was the last place they were.

As he treks through the snow his powers act up again. A low growling noise echoes through the area as the glittery white diamond dust batters the earth. Lucas turns around and scans the area, but his aura powers fail to pick up any nearby Pokemon. As the growling becomes louder, he begins to realize it's growing closer. 'It sounds huge, and it's close by... I can't just harm another Pokemon, and I can't catch it.'

Left with no other option, he runs. He jets along the snowy ground as fast as he could, keeping his eyes forward and ignoring the growling that continues to follow him. 'Just what kind of Pokemon is it? Why is it following me?'

Lucas trips over a log covered in snow. Picking himself up he continues to move. 'Where are those guys? Am I getting lost?'

He spots a lightning bolt going off in the sky, just north of his position. "That must be then!"

He chases after that area until he reaches the Dragonspiral Tower, and sees Black and the girls coming his way. "Hey guys!"

"Lucas, where were you?" White asks him.

"It's nothing. Just a little adventure," he says as he brushes snow off his hat. "So, you're all done with your training, right?"

"Uh huh," Black says as he crosses his arms over his chest. The four now together again, they head for the Pokemon center. As they walk, Lucas looks around for any signs of that Pokemon who followed him. As they enter the center he realizes the growling has ended. The skies are still a beautiful day white, and the center is just in sight.

After entering Black breathes in a sigh of relief. "Ah! It feels great to be out of that cold weather!"

"It wasn't that bad," Elesa says as she helps him out of his gear.

"I like the Pokemon I managed to catch," White says as she takes her white gear off. Soon Elesa and Lucas follow, and they have their Pokemon checked at by Nurse Joy. With that matter cleared the quartet head into the cafeteria area for lunch.

Black dips his chop sticks into his noodles, taking a big bite out of them to enjoy that first taste. As he bites into them he cringes suddenly. 'The flavor is so strong!'

"Black? Is something wrong?" Elesa asks her boyfriend with worry. Lucas looks up from his meal to look at him, while White continues to chow down.

"No, I'm fine. It's just more delicious than I ever imagined!" he says as he begins to eat more. He flinches with each bite, but he slowly gets better each time.

After that meal, where Black is currently breathing slow from, he, Elesa and White grab their Pokemon and prepare to leave. Dressing in their snowgear they make their way towards the Icirrus gym.

"We're here!" Black announces as he enters the gym. He looks around to see the gym is partially covered in ice. Just as everyone else enters he says, "What the heck?"

"An ice gym, huh?" Lucas comments. "How appropriate!"

"Yeah, it's snowing still," White says.

Black notices a man wearing a bright blue kimono standing out in the battlefield beside an ace trainer. The female trainer bows before him and skates away. 'Must be the gym leader.' Black skates over to Brycen, showing expertise in this field. Lucas having done this before, and Elesa having met the guy before, have no trouble joining him. White though have trouble, slipping on her behind twice.

"I hate skating!" she says as she tries crawling over to the others.

Black meets up with the gym leader and says, "Hello. Are you the gym leader?"

The man turns to Black. "Good morning fellow challengers... Hello, Elesa."

"Brycen," she says as she looks at the ice user. "Have you spoken to Alder yet?"

"Not lately. What brings you here?" he asks, his eyes turning back to the group of teenagers. "I had heard you were maintaining a relationship with a younger trainer... Which is it?"

"It's your challenger. His name is Hilbert, but everyone calls him Black," she says, holding a hand out to Black. "He would really like to battle you."

"He looks ready to face the gym leader... Bring it!" Brycen takes out a Pokeball from his kimono.

"How many Pokemon?" Black asks as he prepares to draw out a ball.

As they stare eachother down, the others move to the sidelines to watch. Lucas manages to help White. Black and Brycen back away from eachother to give the other room. "There will be three Pokemon involved in this event. Same rules as your last battle."

"Okay." Black takes out his first Pokeball. 'Okay, the best types against ice are fire and steel... So Zeros should be fine. I think rock works too.' "Go, Archer!"

His first pokemon comes out to the field, giving out a bored sigh. "Eh? Something wrong?"

Brycen sends out his first Pokemon, Cryogonal. Black takes out his Pokedex, along with White who struggles at first, and scans it. "Cryogonal, the Crystallizing Pokemon: When its body temperature goes up, it turns into steam and vanishes. When its temperature lowers, it returns to ice."

"Cryogonal, use Frost Breath!" Cryogonal releases a cold wind at Archer, who takes flight to avoid it.

"Archer, Ancient Power!" Archer summons boulders and tosses them at Cryogonal.

"Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal spins at a rapid pace, deflecting the attack without much trouble. "Frost Breath!"

"Dragonbreath!" Archer and Cryogonal's attack collide, blowing each of them away.

"Rapid Spin!" Cryogonal spins again and flies towards Archer, bashing him in the stomach.

"Don't give up! Use Dragonbreath!"

"Continue spinning while using Frost Breath!" While spinning, the frozen hexagon breathes cold air. It produces a protective barrier around Archer, who fights back with Dragonbreath. Still, Archer's attack fails to pierce through, and soon becomes hit with the frozen attack.

Falling to the ground, Archer's ability kicks in and his strength and speed weaken. Meanwhile the snowy breath continues to freeze him, until he finally faints.

"I'm sorry Archer. Return!" Black retrieves his Pokemon before it could get worse; not that it matters cause he lost. Cryogonal stops spinning finally and awaits the next Pokemon. 'What can I do about that spinning... I could send him out, but he's weak to ice... No, I can't play it safe.'

"Go, Sir C!" Black sends out his next Pokemon, Sir C the Krokorok. Elesa, White and Lucas both look at him in shock.

"He's using Sir C?" White asks out of exclamation.

"Black, that's a terrible choice! Ground types are weak to ice!" Elesa says to remind him.

"I don't get you. First you send out a Pokemon with a type advantage and disadvantage, and now this... Oh well; Aurora Beam!" Cryogonal fires a beam of rainbow energy at Sir C after Brycen gives a small speech to Black.

"Rock Tomb!" Krokorok stomps on the icy ground, summoning four pillars of ice rocks to guard him like a barricade. The beam hits, and gets deflected by the reflective properties of the ice. Cryogonal is hit, but quickly regains composure. "Get him with Crunch!"

Sir C jumps in the air at Cryogonal. "Reflect!"

Cryogonal forms a shield in front of it, blocking Sir C and having him fall to the ground. "Aurora Beam!"

"Dodge and use Brick Break!" Sir C quickly gets back onto his feet and runs away from the beam before leaping up at Cryogonal. The Reflect comes before him, but this time he's prepared; using a karate chop, he breaks through the shield and smashes into the ice hexagon's forehead and knocking it to the ground.

"Cryogonal!" The ice Pokemon rises up from the ground to commence a counterattack.

"Rock Tomb!" Upon landing Sir C stomps the ground and forms rocks around Cryogonal to seal him down. "Run up and use Brick Break!"

Sir C runs up along the icy tombs, using his claws for friction. Sir C jumps up in the air and comes down on Cryogonal with Brick Break, busting the Pokemon through the stone pillars that shatter to pieces.

"Look out!" Lucas stands before the girls and forms a barrier to protect them. Being this is the first time she's seen him in action, White could only look in shock at Lucas' power. Brycen steps out of a boulder that almost squashes him.

Black slips on the ice just as one boulder comes flying at him. Elesa cries, "Black!"

Holding his hands up at a shield, Black braces for impact. Instead of crushing the poor kid though the rock is repelled from his body. Lucas, who was about to throw an Aura Sphere, notices a spark of black electricity protected him in that instance. 'What was that?'

"Huh... That was a surprise." Black manages to stand back up, remaining calm now that the danger is over. The smoke from the collision lifts, revealing Sir C over top Cryogonal who has fainted.

Elesa, breathing a sigh of relief seeing Black okay, says, "Cryogonal is unable to battle; Krokorok wins."

"That was close. I really thought he was a goner," White says, her too glad that her brother is safe.

"Well, I'm impressed. You won despite a type disadvantage..." Brycen says as he looks at Black and his Pokemon. He retrieves Cryogonal and holds out another Pokeball. "This one however won't be so easy."

Brycen's next Pokemon is Vanillish. White and Black check their Pokedex to record it. "Vanillish, the Icy Snow Pokemon: It conceals itself from enemy eyes by creating small ice particles and hiding amongst them. Snowy mountains are their habitat."

"Hail!" Vanillish forms a snowstorm to hail down around them. Unable to see, Sir C gets on guard. He tries to track Vanillish using its body heat, but unfortunately the ice cream like Pokemon is far below cold temperatures to be seen.

'Damn... Sir C is weak to ice, and he won't be able to see Vanillish until this hail lifts.' These are Black's thoughts as he prepares to make a strategy against this.

"Frost Breath." Vanillish floats above the crocodile and releases a frosty breath at them. Sir C receives a critical hit from the attack, falling to the ground. The hail wails on him as he remains on the ground.

"Sir C, don't give up!" Black calls out to his Pokemon. But it is of no avail, as Sir C's eyes reveal he's fainted. "Sir C!"

"Sir C has fainted." Elesa says, still refereeing the match.

"Thanks for your help. You deserve a good rest," he says as he retrieves his Pokemon. He then draws out his Pokeball, and tosses it to the battlefield. Out pops Zeros, surprising Brycen.

'Victini? Why does he have that Pokemon?' The man thinks as he looks at the teen with curiosity. 'What an interesting kid... Must be what she sees in him.'

"Zeros, get ready for battle! Nitro Charge!" Zeros surrounds himself in flames, his heat melting the snow around him. He then charges at Vanillish, the hail having melted enough to expose him.

"Mirror Shot!" Pieces of metal shoot off of Vanillish's body, despite that though Zeros continues to attack him. The tackle manages to surround Vanillish's body with steam upon impact, blinding everyone of sight. "Vanillish?"

The steamy mist clears, revealing Zeros has triumphed over Vanillish. With a smile, Elesa says, "Vanillish is unable to battle."

"Alright Zeros!" Black cheers for his Pokemon. He scratches his cheek with a sheepish grin.

Brycen retrieves his Pokemon, and says, "This is going smooth. Extreme conditions really test and train you... They can also bring out the fight in one."

He sends out his last Pokemon, the ice bear Beartic. Beartic roars upon exit, releasing an icy breath into the gym. "Slash!"

Beartic storms over to Zeros, who takes flight to avoid the cutting claws at the last second. "Brine!"

"Flame Burst!" Zeros fires a medium sized ball of flames at Zeros, who pours salt water from its mouth at it. The water douses out the fireball and hits Zeros, knocking him off his feet. "Zeros!"

"Icicle Crash!" Beartic rears his head back and fires icicle spears into the air. They then drop down onto Zeros.

"Don't give up! Psychic!" Zeros' eyes glow bright blue, capturing the icicles in a psychic hold. He then redirects them towards Beartic, setting him a good distance back. "Nitro Charge!"

"Brine!" Beartic opens his mouth and fires again at Zeros, who surrounds himself in flames. The fire is doused out and he receives the remaining salt water's attack, this one much stronger for pouring salt on his injuries. "Icicle Crash!"

"Hang in there! Nitro Charge!" Zeros manages to stand back up and glares at the giant ice bear. Instead of using Nitro Charge though the V on his head explodes into flames. Shocked, Black could only say in question, "What the hell?"

"Victini is using a new move?" White asks in surprise.

Zeros jets towards Beartic, the flaming V enlarging enough to cover his entire head. The icicles melt before being able to reach him. He then tackles Beartic, causing a fiery explosion on contact. Beartic falls out of the explosion with a simple burn on his right arm.

"That was a devastatingly powerful fire move... " Brycen says as he looks at his injured bear.

Zeros flies out from the smoke created, taking notice to how much ice he's melted in the entire room. "Alright, Zeros!"

"Beartic, Swagger!" Beartic crosses his arms and looks at the opponent in an intimidating manner. His eyes glow red as he does.

Zeros' eyes glow red and he grows enraged. "Oh no, Zeros!"

"Brine!" Beartic shoots more salt water at Zeros, who is knocked into the ground. Luckily for Black he manages to stand back up, mad as hell.

"Come on, Zeros! You can snap out of this!" Zeros glares at Black when he speaks to him, and turns back to Beartic. "That guy pushed you to the ground!"

"What?" Brycen says with a 'wth' look on his face.

Zeros fires Flame Burst at Beartic, who counters with Brine. "Okay, what was that V move he used..."

Black quickly checks the Pokedex on a list of Victini's moves, and out came an attack called V-Create. "V-Create: Victini bashes into the opponent with its ears set ablaze to make a powerful special based fire attack."

"Okay then. Zeros, use V-Create!" Having his ears explode into flames, Zeros charges at Beartic and finishes him off. Beartic falls to the ground, fainting from that last blow. Still under swagger's effect, Zeros begins firing Flame Burst all over the place, creating holes and causing debris to fall around them.

"This is bad..." Lucas says as he protects the girls.

Black charges at his Pokemon partner, once again pulling at Elesa and White's heartstrings and causing them to call out to him. Black grabs Zeros and digs into his back, grabbing a full heal to cure him. Zeros uses Psychic on him, causing an incredible strain to go off on his body.

"Zeros, open your eyes!" Black uses Full Heal while still under Psychic's effect, freeing him from Swagger's harmful effects. Realizing what he's doing Zeros releases Black, who breaths a sigh of relief. "Zeros, you're okay."

"Black!" White calls out, running to her brother. She trips on the ice though. Elesa places a hand over her heart, glad for his safety.

'Victini is a powerful ally, and at the same time a threat under confusion... I'm just glad Black can connect to his Pokemon so well.' Elesa thinks as she watches her boyfriend hold his Pokemon in his arms. "Beartic is unable to battle; Zeros wins. The winner in this match is Hilbert from Nuvema."

"You and your Pokemon have a wonderful combination; Such beautiful friendship," Brycen says as he retrieves his Beartic. He walks towards Hilbert, taking care to not slip on the ice, and digs into his tunic to grab a badge. "Here. In honor of your stout heart, you have earned the Freeze Badge."

Brycen hands him the Freeze Badge, which he takes with care. "Alright, that's seven down!"

"Good luck in your adventures. I hope you find the true meaning of strength," he says to the young trainer.

After returning his Pokemon inside his Pokeball he and his friends exit the building towards the Pokemon center. Upon exiting the building though they wouldn't get the chance for a few moments; Cheren and Bianca stand outside of the gym waiting for them.

"Cheren? Bianca?" White asks upon noticing her friends.

"Here for another gym battle?" Black asks his friend.

"Black, I've been talking with Bianca and I've been wondering something," Cheren says to his friends. "Has something about me change since we left Nuvema?"

"Well, you like to say bother allot now," White says to him.

"You did obsess over beating me a bit," Black adds.

"Thinking about what I want to do... Thinking about what I should do..." Cheren begins as he looks at his friends. "It felt like there was nothing... Have I really become stronger, or is that just my Pokemon? I don't know anymore!"

"Cheren, calm down. Cheer up a bit..." Bianca says to him, patting his shoulders. "Let's look at the positives. I mean, when was the last time we've been together like this? I've been thinking I should go see the Pokemon Fan Club!"

"Eh?" Black exclaims.

"What does that mean?" White asks her.

"I'm really searching..." she says, taking her hands together and looking away. "I want to find what I want to do."

"Bianca," Black mutters. Elesa turns to the teen with a concern look.

At that moment Brycen walks out of the gym. Upon seeing Bianca and Cheren he asks, "Who are you?"

"Who, us?" Bianca asks.

"These are our friends; Cheren and Bianca," Lucas says to him.

"I know you're there... Show yourself!" Brycen tosses a gym badge into the now not snowing weather just behind the two like it was a shuriken. A white hand reaches out and grabs the badge.

The figure adjusts himself, revealing himself to be one of the Shadow Triad dressed to blend into the snow. The six trainers who didn't realize they were here go on their guard, still shocked that he was around. They're even more appalled when two more appear by their sides, east and west.

"As expected of the Icirrus City Gym Leader; your training has allowed you to easily notice the Shadow Triad, us beings of the shadows," the east one says.

"Our mission was only to speak with Hilbert Hakumei, but so be it," the west one says, gathering Black's attention. "Ghetsis has a message for you: come to Dragonspiral Tower."

"Dragonspiral Tower? Why there?" he asks them.

The south Shadow Triad answers him by saying, "Our Lord N will be waiting for you. That is all."

"Dragonspiral Tower? Just what are you up to?" Brycen questions them in a threatening tone. They disappear into the snow, leaving him to shout, "Hey, tell me!"

"Why is N in the tower? How did he even get in? It's closed off, right?" Black asks Elesa; When they went to the tower there existed no entrance.

"Young man, if you're here for a Gym challenge, hang on for a bit... I'm heading for the tower with him," Brycen says to Cheren.

"If Black is involved then I'll go too," Cheren speaks with a confident glow on his face. "Dragonspiral Tower is just north of here, right?"

"I'll go too!" Bianca adds.

"I'll catch up with you guys later! I'm taking my Pokemon to be healed!" Black says as he rushes towards the center.

"We'll meet you there!" Elesa says as she, White and the others head up to the tower. Lucas follows after Black, wanting to keep an eye on him.

Inside the center Black has his three Pokemon become healed. "We have to get there as soon as we can."

"Black, calm down," Lucas tells him. "It's not like Elesa and the others can't fend for themselves."

"I know that, but I'm worried. I just have a bad feeling in my stomach something bad will happen," he says with a sad tone on his face. He then touches his stomach, as a cramp gives way. "I just know something terrible's going to happen..."

"Don't worry. We're not going to let N do anything to our friends," Lucas says to reassure the teen.

After half an hour passes by his three Pokemon become healed. It's faster to heal his team of three since he's not healing three separate teams. His five Pokemon at the ready, Black and Lucas head out the door towards the tower. There they see Bianca up by the entrance to the area surrounding the tower stopped by what appears to be Juniper's father.

"Ah, Black, you're here!" she says with excitement. "So, you're Professor Juniper's father?"

"That's right!" he says.

"Then I can say thanks to you! Because of her I got to go on an adventure and figure out what I wanted to do with my life! I'm so grateful to your daughter!" Bianca says to the older man.

"Well grand. I'll be sure to let her know... Oh yeah, here's the situation; some of Team Plasma's members, quite a large group by the way, has broken through the tower wall and gotten inside," he explains to them. "Brycen and your friends went after them... But I'm not sure they'll be okay..."

"Um, what is the Dragonspiral Tower again?" Bianca asks.

Cedric laughs. "Ha! I guess you would be curious. Well, I'll explain briefly. Dragonspiral Tower has stood tall since long before Unova was founded. On the top floor, a sealed form of the legendary Dragon-type Pokémon waits for a person pursuing ideals and truth to appear and resurrect it.

"That's pretty much it. Are you going to go after Team Plasma like your friends did?" he asks him at the end. Lucas and Black nod in unison. "It's admirable of you to join the fight against Team Plasma, but it's risky, too."

"Don't worry. Black, Elesa and Cheren are great trainers. We've beaten Team Plasma before," she says in an attempt to reassure him. She then looks down with a sad look on her face. "Unlike me, they're strong. I'll admit that I'm not strong... So, it would be nice if, maybe, I could...stay here and be your bodyguard."

Cedric walks towards the girl with a grin. "Why, thank you! That makes me feel much safer! Well, Lucas, Black, it's up to you! Climb the tower and stop the bad guys!"

"Oh!" Black and Lucas head towards the tower, going passed Cedric and Bianca. Black turns to Bianca for a moment and says, "You're strong in your own way."

As they leave she could only watch Black disappear through the entrance. Despite what she said earlier she can't help but worry about them, especially Black being the one N wants. "Black, Lucas, please be safe."

"Still, I can't help but wonder what they're up to," Cedric thinks out loud.

Black and Lucas come before the entrance to the Dragonspiral Tower, where a bridge is being held to an opening in the wall of the tower. By the bridge is a Team Plasma grunt being held back by Elesa. "Black!"

"Where are the others?" Lucas asks her.

"Your friends went inside with the gym leader," the grunt tells them. He then grins saying, "If you're lucky, you might witness a legend."

Elesa takes out a taser and paralyzes him to the ground. "Let's go."

"Why do you carry that?" Black asks her.

"It's just a little protection from stalkers. I get them more than you think," she says, pocketing the device. They go on the bridge towards the tower and enter inside.

Inside the tower a walkway for them towards a set of stairs exists right in front of them. Black heads first across the path, taking a moment to glance at the water beside him. He stops however as something catches his eye; what appeared to be him in black clothes with red eyes and spiky hair. Turning back to the water he sees his reflection to be completely normal. 'What was that just now?'

"Black? Is something wrong?" Elesa asks him, now worried something might be wrong.

"No, it's nothing. Let's keep going." With that, Black charges to the stairs and up them. Elesa however hasn't dropped the subject; she knows something is bugging him, and it might affect his performance. Upon reaching the stairs, a loud roar goes off higher up the tower. 'What's that noise?'

"It could just be a Pokemon going wild at the top of the tower," Lucas suggests. That's when it hits both of them. "We gotta hurry!"

"Yeah!"

"Wait, what's wrong?" Elesa asks, not understanding what they're talking about.

Climbing up the stairs they come before another room. There it's almost completely surrounded by rubble, mostly from the fallen columns. "Hilbert!"

Black looks up at the next set of stairways surrounded by debris. "This came from a previous battle with Plasma. But you can still fly above it with your Pokemon."

"Thanks!" Black says to him.

"I'll meet you up ahead." Cheren goes off ahead to find Brycen and White.

"Alright, I'll send out Raika and Archer and we'll climb over this junk using their strength," Black says as he takes out two balls.

"Don't worry about it. I'll just clear a path," Lucas says before holding his hands together and forming an Aura Sphere. He then fires, using his sphere to mow down some of the rubble. "Once more," he says before firing a second sphere, clearing a path for them. All that's in their way now is a fallen column. "Dragon Pulse!"

Lucas' last attack completely eradicates the column, leaving a free path for them to take. They run along the path, all except Lucas who droops a bit. Black turns back to him and asks, "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired. Consecutive uses tire me out," he says, trying to increase his speed to keep up.

They go up the stairs to find a staircase smack right in front of them. Black jets up the stairs as fast as he could with Elesa by his side, and Lucas behind them, before they come by the next floor. Here they find Team Plasma in battle against Cheren, Brycen and White.

Cheren is in battle with Snively against a female grunt using Krokorok. Brycen is taking on three opponents using Beartic, having healed his team using Revives and Max Potion because he couldn't afford to wait. White meanwhile is in a one-on-one throwdown with a male grunt's Scrafty with Scolipede.

"Black! You go on ahead!" Brycen tells him as Beartic fends off a Liepard.

"Jump Kick!" Scrafty comes at Scolipede with a flying side kick, hitting her square inbetween the eyes.

"Just go! We'll catch up!" White tells her brother.

"She's right; this is nothing! But there might be more of them!" Cheren says to his friends.

Following his friends' determination, Black-tachi head past them towards the stairs. A Plasma grunt stands in his way, saying, "Your friends over there are being a complete bother. Go, Watchog!"

The male grunt sends out Watchog. Black retaliates by choosing Sir C. "Use Brick Break before he can hypnotize you!"

Sir C rushes towards Watchog and lands a karate chop on the Pokemon's forehead, knocking his eyes straight. Watchog collapses from the injury, having fainted. "I don't get you people."

The male grunt stands by, allowing Black and his friends to move forward. A female grunt stands in his way, saying, "I won't let anyone stand in-"

But before she could finish, Black trips over his feet and falls on top of her. Elesa's eyes narrow out of hidden anger seeing Black resting on her chest, despite the girl being unconscious. "Sorry."

Black picks himself up and sits her against a wall. Ignoring what just happened they continues up to the stairs leading to the top floor. That's when another grunt gets in their way. He says, "I'm sure you also thought 'I am strong' and 'I can win' when you came here, is that right?"

"I came because I'm sick of you guys doing what you want!" Black says, Sir C by his side. He sends out Scraggy.

"Hi Jump Kick!" Scraggy leaps at Sir C, holding his 'pants' up and landing a kick to his face.

"Knock him away!" Improvising, Sir C spins with his tail to knock Scraggy to the ground. "Brick Break!"

"Jump Kick!" Scraggy counters, connecting fist with feet. Eventually Sir C manages to knock Scraggy down, causing him to faint. The grunt yells out in anger, saying, "I guess you are strong..."

He steps aside to let them go on ahead. There a fourth grunt stands in their way, and Elesa grabs Black and pulls him back upon seeing it's a female grunt. "We exist to serve Lord N!"

"I don't care!" The grunt sends out Liepard.

"Sir C, Rock Tomb!" Sir C stomps hard on the ground, summoning stone pillars to grab Liepard, but he manages to leap up in the air to avoid it.

"Fury Swipes!" Liepard comes down at Sir C, claws sharpened, to rapidly scratch Sir C.

"Grab the paws and use Crunch!" Sir C grabs Liepard's arm paws and bites down hard on his head. He then begins twirling the kitty in his mouth, before tossing her back to the ground. "Brick Break!"

Sir C comes up to Liepard and karate chops his head, knocking him out for the count. "Gah! Our Lord N!"

"Now, get out of our way!" Black says to her as his friends move past the grunt. As they go further up the platform towards the stairs, Sir C suddenly begins glowing. Turning back, Black notices this and gasps when he realizes what it is. "Evolution?"

"Oh my," Elesa says as Sir C grows in height. He then stops glowing, revealing himself to be Krookodile.

Black takes out his Pokedex and scans him. "Krookodile, the Intimidation Pokemon; Krookodile can expand the focus of its eyes, allowing it to zoom in on everything and everyone else from a long distance like binoculars. Their jaws are strong enough to wreck automobiles."

"Wow. That makes it sound a little evil," Black says after reading the Pokedex.

"Let's keep going. We're almost there," Lucas says as he heads forward. Black retrieves Sir C, letting him take a moment to rest.

One more grunt stands in their way. "Since coming to Dragonspiral Tower, my stress level has maxed out! The hyper I become, the faster you go down!"

"I'll take you on," Elesa says as she stands before Black.

"Go, Watchog!" He sends out Watchog.

"Leangle, Electro Web!" Leangle comes out, using a spider web to capture Watchog.

"What the? Why does she have Leangle?" Lucas asks Black.

"We traded, Leangle for Raika," he explains, holding up Raika's ball. "You can do it, Elesa!"

"Confuse Ray!" Watchog's eyes glow bright yellow.

"Electro Ball!" Leangle tosses a ball of electricty at Watchog before he could be affected. Watchog collapses to the ground injured by the powerful attack, fainting within seconds.

"Damn it!" The grunt calls back his Pokemon and sends out Krokorok. "Your electric Pokemon are no match for him!"

"Damn, a ground type; Elesa's only weakness," Black mumbles out of anger.

"Maybe so... Signal Beam!" Leangle forms a spider web up above Krokorok and hops on it, before using Signal Beam to pummel him from above. Krokorok faints shortly afterwards.

"Guraaah!" The grunt reclaims his Pokemon. "This won't end the same though; Scrafty!"

His next Pokemon is Scrafty, a Pokemon much stronger than the other two he's sent out. Elesa says, "Black, Lucas, go on ahead of me. I'll be fine!"

"Got it; good luck!" Black and Lucas go on ahead of her, leaving the grunt to face her alone.

The next floor is a circular puzzle where they have to find a way to get to the other side. After finally solving the puzzle they reach the other side, where the stairs lead them to the next floor.

Upon reaching the next floor a loud roar goes off, same one as before. "There it is again!"

"Yeah. It might be that ancient Pokemon Cedric spoke about," Lucas says before he heads forward.

They go pass a pillar, only to find one of the sages with members of Team Plasma. The Sage, Giallo, says, "It's finally time. Our lord N will become the hero!"

"Crap. How do we sneak pass them?" Black asks.

"I'll try this..." Lucas charges forward and fires Dark Pulse, knocking out two grunts.

"Pests!" Giallo shouts. "Get them! Anyone who isn't Team Plasma is an enemy!"

"Nice plan! You just exposed us!" Black shouts at Lucas.

"I never said it was a plan," Lucas responds.

"Use all your power to take them out!" The Sage says to the remaining two grunts, who take out two Pokeballs.

"I'll have to go all out for this."

Back Downstairs...

"Electro Ball!" Emolga tosses a ball at Scrafty, who dodges at the last second. White is still in her battle against the same grunt, who has a Scrafty that's more than a challenge for her; she's already lost Scolipede to him.

"Hi Jump Kick!" Scrafty then jumps in the air towards the flying squirrel, landing a powerful flying drop kick with both feet. "Headbutt!"

She follows up with a headbutt, smashing into Emolga's skull. "Acrobatics!"

Emolga manages to disappear from Scrafty's vision, landing powerful blows on them. "Charge Beam!"

Scrafty receives a powerful blow from that last attack, crashing to the ground in pain. The grunt growls angrily. "Damn it! How can a Pokemon I've rescued from a horrible trainer be such a useless fighter?"

"How can you say that about a species you're trying to save from humans?" White shouts at him out of anger.

"Eh. If they're not strong enough to fight for Ghetsis', I mean, our lord N's goal then it has failed," the grunt says as he walks out. The other grunts, having been defeated by the others, run away along with that guy to escape the tower. Scrafty and her ball are left behind, before White who feels sad for her.

Scrafty rises up to her feet, but falls back down when her left leg is revealed to be injured badly during the battle. White bows down to the Pokemon, saying, "That's just horrible."

Scrafty punches White in the face the moment she got closer. Cheren shouts out, "White!"

White remains unmoved however, Scrafty's fist still in her cheek. Scrafty looks up at her in shock. "It is a trainer's duty to make sure any Pokemon that gets hurt in battle is healed as soon as possible. What's happened to you probably can't be erased from your mind, but I still want to help."

She takes out a Full Restore and begins to spray Scrafty, who slowly removes her fist from her mouth. White coughs out blood, her cheek injured from that last punch. White finishes spraying Scrafty, who is back to full health. "That was my only Full Restore... But that's okay; you're free now."

Cheren and Brycen run to White's side. She clutches her cheek in pain, her mouth still bleeding. "Are you okay, White?"

"Yeah, just get me an ice pack," she says, holding her cheek in pain. "We have to go find Black and Lucas. I'm worried something bad will happen, and that's not something I do."

Upstairs...

"Use Thunderbolt to increase Zeros' V-Create's power!" Raika releases a powerful electric charge that surrounds Zeros' flaming V ears. He then crashes into two opposing Pokemon owned by Team Plasma, Watchog and Krokorok.

"I don't understand; why do you keep trying so hard to stop us?" The first of the grunt says as he and his partner retrieves their Pokemon. "Whatever; you can go through now."

"Thank you," Black says before calling back Raika. With Zeros on his shoulder he and Lucas take to the stairs, as Giallo watches in shock and disappointment towards his men.

Finally at the top, Black, Lucas and Zeros gaze in awe at the sight; the top floor is apparently composed with columns that resemble the ancient Greek, most of which have crumbled because of time. But that's not what's got their tongue. The real eye-peeler is the lord of Team Plasma N standing before a Pokemon.

This Pokemon is huge. This doesn't come as much of a shock to Lucas seeing as he's met Giratina and the others, but it's still a sight to behold. It has a somewhat feminine, fluffy form, like an angel. It has a mammalian like snout, a long slender neck, white bands on its neck, and what appears to be a blue turbine engine as its tail.

As the trainers look and behold the white Pokemon, Black's eyes momentarily flash red as he turns to its blue eyes. N turns around and smirks upon seeing Black and Lucas gaze in awe at the legendary dragon. "What do you think, Hilbert? How do you like the beautiful form of the Pokemon that stood beside the hero in ancient times? He now stands to create a new world!"

"It feels really hot all of a sudden!" Lucas comments as the dragon nears them.

"This... What is this?" Hilbert takes out his Pokedex and scans the Pokemon.

"No available information."

"Eh?"

"Of course not. Reshiram, along with Zekrom, have been sealed away since ancient times! There's no way your modern dictionary would know anything about her!" N tells Black before turning to the blue eyes white dragon.

"Reshiram?" Lucas exclaims.

"Now, Reshiram and I will head to the Pokemon League and defeat the Champion! This will be the last of the Pokémon battles that hurt Pokémon so. A world for Pokémon alone... It's finally going to be a reality." As he speaks, Reshiram roars out to the sky, having it echo through a hole made not too long ago.

"Wait, N! You can't go through with this!" Black says to him. Reshiram flaps its wings, repelling the trainers.

"Black, you and your sister are the only people I can believe in. If either of you wish to stop me, then become a hero. Become the person who sees the error in my ways and stop me!" N speaks with a sad voice.

"I'll just stop you now! Zeros!" Victini takes flight, leaving his shoulder to battle Reshiram. "V-Create!"

Reshiram flies forward at Zeros, who forms its giant V flame and jets at it. Reshiram opens its mouth and releases a blue flame that consumes Zeros along with his flaming V. Zeros falls to the ground, the flames dispersing. "ZEROS!"

Black runs to his Pokemon and catches him in his arms, crying out in pain as his arms get burnt by the blue flames. He could feel tears coming from his eyes as his nerve system is attacked by the dangerously melting fires. Despite that he still clutches his friend in his arms, who has fainted.

"Black! Return Zeros to his ball!" Lucas says to his friend, not wanting either Victini or Black to be hurt. His eyes turn to Reshiram and N, and his aura flares up. "Aura Sphere!"

'Don't get involved!' Reshiram flies towards Lucas and grabs hold of him with its feet claws. It then takes to the air and drops him down a hole by the side of the floor. 'Lucas!'

"LUCAS!" Black calls out to his friend.

'It-It spoke? And that voice...' Lucas falls deep down the hole, falling past the floors where they ran through and left their friends. No one manages to see him as he passes by.

Black turns back to N out of anger, shouting, "How could you do something like that?"

"Relax. He fell down that hole," N says as he points to the place Reshiram dropped Lucas. "It leads directly to the basement floor where you enter, right into the pool."

True to his words, Lucas dips into the icy cold water. Breathing a sigh of relief, Black manages to calm down a bit. Reshiram flinches upon seeing the kid, feeling something emit from him. Retrieving Zeros, Black takes out Date's Pokeball and prepares to send him out, but that's when N says, "Stay your Pokemon. There's no need for me to hurt anymore Pokemon than I need to. Besides, none of your Pokemon are strong enough to face Reshiram and my team alone.

"You can only stop me by becoming a hero," he says, finishing his words. Black lowers his Pokeball and looks up at N from where he stands. "That's right; when Reshiram's counterpart recognizes you, we will finally be even, and then you can try to stop us!"

"What?" Reshiram lands before N, allowing him to climb up the tail to sit on his back. Reshiram then takes flight.

"Well, what will you do? Will you fulfill my prediction and befriend the missing Zekrom in time, or will you fail and have those Pokemon who believe so much in you taken away? Search out the Dark Stone and awaken Zekrom from his prison!" These are his final words before Reshiram takes him away, busting through the ceiling and exposing the snow white sky. As Reshiram rises to the skies, the snow melts away and gives way to a blue sky.

As he leaves, Cheren, Brycen, Elesa and White come up the stairs in time to see Black and Reshiram. Cheren asks, "Black, was that what I think it was?"

"It was..." Elesa says in amazement. Her eyes spot Black's arms, her heart immediately stopping upon seeing his burn marks. "Black! Your arms!"

"Yeah, I'm fine." This is his response, but his tone betrays him. Elesa runs to his side and takes his arms in her hands to see the damage.

"How could this happen..." Brycen states.

White walks towards Black, still clutching her cheek, and says, "Black, I saw N on that dragon... Why was he riding it?"

"N has become a hero," Black says.

"That's impossible!" Cheren exclaims.

"I also heard his challenge for you; find Zekrom, was it?" Elesa asks him. He nods, much to her fear.

"He only wants me to do it..." Black replies.

"Okay, everyone calm down! Let's go back first before we do anything else," Brycen says to everyone.

"Wait... Where's Lucas? Wasn't he with you?" White asks him, looking around for the diamond protagonist.

Black's head quickly rises up. "Oh right! Lucas!"

He quickly heads down the stairs towards the first floor.

Downstairs...

Lucas rises up from the icy cold water, breathing hard as he drags himself to the walkway. "There's no doubt in my mind... That voice..."

Before he could reach the platform, the water around him begins to freeze up. Lucas looks around to see his body turning cold. "What the hell is this?"

Suddenly, his body freezes over and pludges deep into the water. He struggles to reach the surface, but his breath quickly gives out and water enters his lungs. His eyes flash yellow for a moment before he plunges deeper into the sea. After a few minutes he suddenly rises to the surface.

"Lucas!" Black continues down the stairs, almost tripping once, and manages to reach him in time find Lucas floating on the water. He doesn't seem to notice that his burn marks are disappearing as he removes his snow gear and dives into the water.

Later At The Hospital...

"Outstanding..." Cedric says outside of Lucas' hospital room. Beside him are Bianca, Cheren, Elesa and Brycen. White and Black are in the hospital room with Lucas. "I never would have imagined the legendary dragon Pokemon would return now..."

"That guy N was Team Plasma's leader. Apparently he reawakened it somehow," Cheren says.

"That's impossible. The legend states that a host is needed to revive even one!" Cedric explains, having more knowledge of the dragon than anyone there.

"He also told Black to look for the other Pokemon, Zekrom, right before he left," Elesa explains.

Bianca is doing her best to understand what's going on, being as she's the only one is out of the loop. "So...there are two legendary dragon Pokemon?"

"That is correct!" a voice speaks just down the hall. Walking up to them is Alder.

"Ah, if it isn't Alder!" Cedric exclaims in excitement. "How've you been doing?"

"No time for chitchat; I spotted that fearsome column of fire from the tower," Alder says as he walks towards the group. "That Pokemo has the strength to char this world, and being on Team Plasma's side will get their message across much quicker in releasing our Pokemon. It's hard to say no to something that powerful, whether out of fear or admiration.

"The world won't be able not to change!"

"Even worse, the boss of Team Plasma is placing so much on Black's shoulders," Elesa says, turning to the room where Black and White are sleeping on Lucas' bed. "He wants him to find Zekrom."

"In ancient times, Reshiram and Zekrom could level an entire city just by colliding with eachother..." Alder states. "We may have to do what he says."

"What?" Bianca steps in this time. "Isn't it dangerous to have Black try and find something that dangerous?"

"Miss, you are extremely kind, but we can't have other Pokemon get hurt trying to fight it," Alder replies. "Regardless of how you see it, it's still a legendary Pokemon.

"I might have an idea of where the Dark Stone might be..." Alder turns to Elesa. "When Black is ready tomorrow, tell him to meet me at the Relic Castle at the Desert Resort."

That night, everyone goes to sleep. With a day like this, how can you not sleep? Unfortunately, one thing has decided not to. On Black's belt, Zeros' ball levitates and opens up. Out pops Zeros, who floats in mid air fully healed, thanks to Black taking him to the Pokemon center. He uses his psychic power to grab all the other Pokeballs, including White's, and flies out the window with them. Outside in the calming snow, Zeros lands by a pile of snow.

He uses his powers to send out everyone; Date, Archer, Raika, Sir C, Emolga, Tirtouga, and Scolipede. Zeros then heads back into the Pokemon center and takes Elesa's Pokeballs, sending out the twin Emolgas and Leangle. With everyone in place, Date, walks towards a pile of snow and carves a seat with his left sword.

While everyone situates themselves, a lone Scrafty approaches the group while hiding. Date then sits upon his chair, turning to the others to say in an ominous voice, that is translated into English for human readers;

"Let's get this meeting over with."

* * *

Kenshin: That ends this chapter, and man was it long!

Yusei: Next time Black discovers a certain truth about himself and Reshiram, and how the two are connected. Lucas begins to act a little strange too, and White gains two Pokemon on her team. Try and guess who they are.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Journal Entry 10: The Happened Upon Key Of Hope  
**_

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

_Black rises to the surface, swimming over to Lucas and carrying him over to dry land. After tossing the guy to shore he climbs out, breathing hard. White goes to Lucas' side and checks his vitals, giving out a sigh of relief upon realizing he's still alive. But her body gives out a shiver feeling his cold skin. "He's freezing up!"_

_"We gotta take him to the hospital! He might have the Benz!" Elesa says as she helps Lucas up onto White's shoulders. Black helps with carrying Lucas and the twins go off to take him to the hospital. As she follows them Elesa notes Black's arms have healed. "Black, your arms!"_

_"Huh?" Hilbert looks down at his arms, and sees that the burn marks from earlier have healed. "Huh. What do you know?"_

_"How did that happen?" she questions out of shock._

_"Let's deal with that later; Lucas is hurt!" Black tells her before he and White continues to the hospital._

That Night...

"Let's begin this meeting," Date says after sitting down on his seat.

"Weren't we supposed to wait until next week for a meeting?" Leangle asks him.

"We can't wait another week. Team Plasma is making their move!" Zeros tells them. "They've awakened Reshiram from the Light Stone!"

All the Pokemon gasp hearing this, as none of them have been able to see him. In the last meeting Zeros told them about the legendary Pokemon Reshiram and Zekrom and their history, having lived long enough to hear about them. Sir C asks, "What can we do though? I doubt even you're strong enough to stand up to them, right?"

"I'm not," he tells him. "Reshiram's single fire attack took me out. Now she's with that guy N."

"She?" Date asks.

"Reshiram is a woman," Zeros explains. Everyone goes 'ah'.

"So, what can we do? Will the five of us be strong enough to stand up to them?" Date asks Zeros.

"Doubtful. It isn't enough to fight a legendary with any other legendary. We're gonna really need his help, Zekrom," Zeros says in a sad tone. "N has challenged Black to find Zekrom if he plans to stop him. Those two are the strongest in Unova."

"We can't just give up," Elesa's male Emolga says.

"Where is Zekrom's stone?" Elesa's female Emolga asks.

"I have no clue," Zeros says. "I was trapped in that place for so long, humans might have found and/or moved it."

"Maybe...we can...just...become stronger..." Tirtouga says in a slow tone.

"We could just eat N." Sir C's suggestion shocks everyone, especially considering he's the one who said it. "What?"

"Sir Crocodile, just because you're a carnivore doesn't mean we all are," Date tells him.

"I am." Archer steps into this conversation.

"You couldn't even bite off a Sewaddle's head let alone a human's!" Raika shouts at him.

"Hey, watch it! I'll bite your head off!" Archer exclaims angrily.

"Is that your answer to everything?" Sir C questions him.

"Stay out of this you criminal to nature!" Archer yells at him.

"Fuck you!" Sir C soon begins the arguments, with all except Date of Black's team yelling at eachother.

"Will you guys stop fighting?" Leangle shouts at them.

"Don't get involved!" White's Emolga says.

"I say we try to resolve with N!" Scolipede suggests.

"SILENCE!" Date yells, swinging his sword to get his point across. Everyone quiets down, leaving nothing but silence. "OOO, do you have an idea of where the Dark Stone last was?"

All the Pokemon look at eachother. "That's you Zeros."

"Oh yeah..." Zeros scratches his head sheepishly, remembering where Black got his name from. "I was able to read Elesa's mind before taking her Pokeballs, and I discovered something called Relic Castle. It might be there... I also found out these guys had a really weird night earlier this week."

"Well, here's the thing," Date begins before cracking his neck. "Whether we like it or not, we can't just tell Black what to do, mostly because humans can't understand our speech. What we can do is stand by his side and work together with him... That reminds me... You mentioned something last night about Black feeling different, right?"

Everyone turns to Zeros. "Well, it was probably just me. But he did seem a little different. It's like there's another person inside of him."

"It's probably nothing, but let's keep a good eye out on him," Date says as he thinks of Black. "No matter what this Team Plasma is planning, I'll do whatever it takes to protect Black. He's risked his life for us more than once, like that time he protected Joltik and Hana and was put in the hospital, or just earlier today when he caught Zeros despite being burned."

"Yeah. I like Hilbert; he's the reason I'm out of that room," Zeros adds.

"I like being with him. He knows the kind of food I like," Sir C says.

"He's the only person Elesa likes enough to trade me to. That shows how good a person he is," Raika adds.

"I personally don't care for Black," Archer says, causing scowls to shower over him. "But, as long as he's around Date will be, and I will surpass you as the strongest!"

"Yeah right. Just because you've grown stronger by the Pokerus doesn't mean you could beat me. Everyone here has it," Date tells him, pointing at the first bird with his sword. "Let's end this meeting already; the cold is getting to Sir Crocodile."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me!" Sir C says while he holds his arms shivering.

Elsewhere...

_Lucas stumbles along a dark road covered in fire and electricity. As he walks, everything his feet steps off of leaves a frozen trail. His eyes pick up two people standing at the end of the road. He couldn't tell who they were, but the left has a black silhouette while the other is a white one._

_The black figure has a male shape while the white figure is that of a woman's. They both turn around and leave, but Lucas wouldn't have that. "Wait!"_

_Lucas chases after them, his trail of ice also conjuring up a storm. He finally catches up to them, but that's when they turn around. Their eyes are shown to be glowing brightly, his red and hers blue. Not long afterwards they vanish into thin air. "What's going on?"_

_Before he could ponder anymore, he hears a loud growl just behind him. Turning around he sees a ghostly face made of snow. It glares at him with bright yellow eyes before flying at him with an open mouth, devouring him in a second._

"Gaah!" Lucas suddenly wakes up from his nightmare. Looking around, he sees his friends White and Black by his beside fast asleep. "Just a dream... What was that about though? I haven't had something like that since that night I spent with Cheryl after Riolu came from the egg."

He looks at the floor and notices Black's belt on the floor. "Why is that on the floor?"

Lucas rises up from his bed, his body completely in top form. He flexes and moves about to see if there's any pain. 'I feel a little cold though.'

Elsewhere...

"Is it ready?" Ghetsis asks a member of the Shadow Triad.

"Yes, the experiment was a success," he says to him, prompting a grin from the green haired villain.

That Morning...

Dawn breaks into the eastern sky. In Icirrus hospital, Black, his sister and Lucas wake up from their long night's sleep. Well, actually just White wakes up. The free spirit yawns as she walks into the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Later, Lucas wakes up and rises up from the bed, yawning before going half minded into the bathroom. His eyes focus and allow him to see what's in front of him, White on the toilet. Angry, Hilda kicks him square in the face out of the bathroom. "That better wake you up!"

Bleeding, Lucas grabs his nose in pain and begins crying out in pain. This wakes up Hilbert, who gives out a big yawn. He looks down at Lucas and asks, "You okay?"

After getting dressed, the nurse comes in and gives out a report on Lucas. Having recovered from his coldness he can now leave the hospital. So they head off for the Pokemon center where their friends are. Black stops for a moment though to take in the surrounding area with his eyes.

"Guys, you seeing this right?" Black asks them.

"Huh?" White and Lucas look around, and to their shock they see that all the snow is currently melting. White then says, "Huh? How is this... The snow is all melting."

"Must have been temporary," Lucas says as he looks at the snow. As his eyes check the area, he notices certain areas have darkened a bit. Blinking his eyesight corrects, and everything's back. 'What was that just now?'

Getting it back together, the trio enter into the building. The group spots Elesa with plates of food, enough for four, waiting for them. Black says, "Elesa, nice to see you're up."

Elesa turns around to see the trio, and although she's glad to see Lucas okay inside she's worried about Black. What with what happened last night and the challenge placed on him, she can't help but feel he'll get even more hurt. So even though Black smiles at her like nothing's wrong, inside she's suppressing any sad emotions that could be unleashed.

"It's good to see you guys up... We're going to go through a lot of stuff today," Elesa says as she watches them take their seats. She stares into Black's eyes as he looks down at the food, and notices an unease feel in them. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he says before taking a fork to the sausages and devouring them slowly. Slowly being the word, because the flavor is too strong for him.

"Now that Lucas is okay, we can focus on the task at hand," White says before eating her oatmeal with fruits and nuts.

"So, what happened while I was out?" Lucas asks as he plays around with his scrambled eggs.

"Well, long story short," Black begins after he swallows the meat in his mouth. "N wants me to find Zekrom's form, the Dark Stone. But I have no idea where it could be."

"Alder told us to head for Relic Castle," Elesa says, gathering their attention.

"That place we went to chase Sir C?" Lucas asks Black.

"Yeah, that's probably it," he replies.

"Good. We'll fly to Nimbasa on top of Archer then." With Lucas' advice in their ears, he begins to eat. But after a few chews he suddenly stops, looking with a strange expression on his face. 'What the?'

"Lucas, is something wrong with the food?" White asks him, having noticed his unease expression.

"N-No, I'm fine," he lies, not wanting them to worry about. Whatever it is he doesn't need to add to the piles of anxiety already in the air. "It's just nice to eat something warm. I've been feeling a little cold since I woke up."

He continues eating, ignoring the weird feeling he's been getting as he does. After staying in the center for a while, since White had to change her Pokemon roster up a bit, they leave, only to be caught up in another problem. The sound of cameras clicking and lights flashing in their eyes are just the things they deal with the moment they exit the center, as per the paparazzi.

"Elesa, how is your marriage working out?"

"Is it true that you're pregnant?"

"Do you plan to dump him like you did Jason Silverbrook?"

These are just some of the many questions these parasites ask of the four trainers, who are just completely bamboozled by the cameras themselves. Elesa, being used to paparazzi, shouts, "None of your business," before running off with Black. White and Lucas take this to follow them, but their pursuers give chase.

"Archer, take us to Nimbasa!" Black shouts as he sends out his first bird's ball. The Pokemon flies out and grabs Black and Lucas, while the girls hop on his back. As Archer takes off, Black breathes a sigh of relief as he climbs to Archer's back.

"Let's not all fly on Archer too often. He's too small for all of us." Hearing this and taking it as an insult, Archer exerts more energy to prove him wrong.

As they fly though White remembers something she heard. "Wait, one of those guys said that Elesa was married... What does he mean?"

"I'm not sure." Elesa laughs at the idea of being married to someone. It would be impossible for that to happen without her knowledge. "I know for sure I never got married before, and I haven't ever since I've been together with-"

That when she gains a horrified look on her face. Black asks, "What's wrong?"

"There _is_ something, isn't it?" White states.

"Maybe it happened during that night in Nimbasa with Skyla, and I got married to someone..." Elesa claps her face in horror thinking of who it could be. A thought popped in her head thinking it could be Black, and a calmness purges her fears for the moment.

"That would make sense," White says.

"You can just check your records," Lucas says as he watches everything from the talons of Archer. His vision blurs into static for a moment, but quickly clears back up. 'What the hell is going on?'

After two hours they land in Nimbasa by the Pokemon center, and Black retrieves his tired Pokemon. Elesa immediately says, "You guys head for the Relic Castle. I'll wait here."

"Thanks!" Black says before he takes off for the desert. White and Lucas follow after him, leaving Elesa alone to do her own work.

Heading for a counterlady at the Nimbasa Hall of Records, she receives unfortunate information that she couldn't help but be shocked at. "I see..."

Back with Black and the others, they're currently rushing through Route 4 to reach the Desert Resort, going the same way they went before. They manage to cross the desert with little trouble, even considering the sand storm going on. Black and Lucas lead White and eachother to the castle using only their memories to bring them.

"We're here!" Black says as he notes the statues by an underground entrance.

"Hold it!" a voice calls out. Turning back the trio spots Cheren, who brushes sand out of his hair. "So, you guys made it here before me."

"Well, we came here before," Lucas says to him.

"Cheren, do you know what's inside this place?" Black asks his dark haired friend.

"Alder's inside. He'll tell you," he says, moving past the group to walk down the stairs. "Let's hurry."

The teenagers head into the castle, slipping by the sandy floor to reach the stone stairs. Their only obstacle is a patch of quicksand that wouldn't suck them down if they walked slowly. They continue until reaching another set of steps which takes them lower, only occasionally seeing a Yamask floating about.

Upon reaching the bottom floor they come before what appears to be one of the Seven Sages of Team Plasma. Lucas says, "Alright, who are you?"

"I am Ryoku of the Seven Sages," the old man says, chuckling afterwards. "Ghetsis told us that you once again must be tested to see how much power you have. Defeat Team Plasma if you can!"

He then steps aside, revealing a Plasma grunt waiting for him. "So, this is the punk who works Pokemon hard, huh?"

The grunt sends out Watchog. White steps before Black, saying, "I got this. It's time My newest addition took to the stage."

White sends out her Pokemon, the Automaton Pokemon Golett. Lucas goes, "Eh? What's that?"

"Golett, the Automaton Pokemon: The energy inside of Golett burns to allow it movement, but no one knows what it is. It is said they were created by an ancient civilization." Black's Pokedex reads Golett's information, explaining its abilities to Lucas. "She caught it during the training in Icirrus outside of the tower."

"Gerdus, Mega Punch!" Golett stumbles towards Watchog to punch it.

"Confuse Ray!" Watchog jumps in the air to avoid Golett and flashes bright lights in its eye. Of course, since it wasn't looking Golett didn't get affected.

"Mega Punch one more time!" Golett turns around and slugs Watchog as he lands, knocking it out in one hit.

"NOOOOO!" The grunt yells angrily. "She's as strong as him!"

"Very good. You may go further to the bottom by diving into the quicksand," Ryoku says to them.

"Let's keep going!" White says as she goes past him into the quick sand. Once she and Golett reach the middle of the quicksand and sink instantly.

"White!" Hilbert, Cheren and Lucas all go after her, sinking into the quicksand. At the next level she's shown to be completely fine.

"Hey guys," she says with a smile.

With that they continue forward, battling the many Team Plasma grunts that stand in their way. White would use Gerdus and Scolipede, Cheren would occasionally choose Liepard and Snively, and Black would pick Date and Sir C. These are relatively easy battles for them, so they would move on rather quickly.

By the time they reach the nearest bottom level, two more grunts stand in their way. These two send out Krokorok and Liepard. Cheren and White stand before Lucas and Black, and she says, "We'll handle these two."

"You two go on ahead!" Cheren says, adding to what White just said.

"Right!" Lucas heads for the quicksand before Black, and one after another they sink away to the bottom floor.

Upon reaching the last floor, Black falls on top of Lucas. There stands Alder, who is darting hateful glares at Ghetsis. Lucas says, "Him again."

"That old guy never mentioned him being here," Black speaks with the utmost poison in his lips thinking about Ghetsis.

"You two, come over here," Alder says to the teens. They immediately head for his side.

With them there Ghetsis says to Alder, "Well, it seems everyone's in place. I can see you're working hard to resurrect Zekrom aren't you? But unfortunately, the Dark Stone isn't here."

"It's not?" Cheren's voice speaks out of disappointment. The four of them turn to see Cheren and White have made it to the bottom floor.

"Well then, congratulations are in order!" Ghetsis shouts, throwing his arms up into the air. His eyes dart to Black before saying, "Hilbert, you were chosen by our king as the one person who can change his mind... If you truly desire to keep the world as it is, then you're gonna have to stop him. But to do that you'll need to bring the other dragon spoken of by legend and defeat him.

"Failure will mean Team Plasma will steal every Pokemon from every person in the world, and release them." His statement shocks Alder, White and Cheren. Black and Lucas knows that's exactly what they were planning so it has less of an effect.

"Release? Do the Pokemon who live with their trainers actually want that?" Alder's questions only make Ghetsis laugh. "Don't laugh! This liberation is simply just stealing!"

"Oh?" Ghetsis grins as he takes a few steps towards Alder. "The Champion, even though illness took the Pokemon that had been your partner for the entirety of your career and hasn't had a serious battle in so long... After you left the Pokemon League and left the Elite Four in charge to wander Unova alone... Even now you want to protect a world where Pokemon and humans are united?

"Our king will show the world he is stronger than any Champion who keeps Pokemon bound, and once he gives the order, 'Trainers, release your Pokemon,' they will have to listen," Ghetsis takes a moment to pause. After clearing his throat and spitting out mucus, much to everyone's disgust, he continues, "For this, we've prepared a suitable castle for Reshiram and our king."

"I won't lose!" Alder shouts, stomping the sandy dirt hard. "I'll fight, for all the trainers who love Pokemon and the Pokemon who believe in humans!"

Ghetsis waves his hand in a bored manner. "Victory against you is assured. He only cares about facing Zekrom and Hilbert."

"So what, you stayed here just to tell me I would lose?" Alder clenches his fist tight to through a punch at him.

"It's merely out of kindness..." he replies, angering the champ even more. "There's no reason the champion should get hurt... Although seeing people fall into despair is fun to watch! So, farewell."

"Wait a second!" Alder charges at Ghetsis in blind furry, but he disappears. Apparently, he's a hologram the entire time. As small robotic insect flies off, but only Black notices. "He was an illusion?"

"A hologram," Black says, in a deep voice even he didn't think he could pull off. Everyone turns to him like he's crazy, and he asks, "What?"

"That would make sense, but how would you know for sure?" White asks him.

"I...just knew?" he says in a guessing tone, shrugging his shoulders.

"Alder, what do you plan to do now?" Cheren asks the champion.

Alder remains silent for a moment. "All I can do now is return to the Pokemon League, and prepare to battle N. Though I hate doing what Ghetsis wants, I will stop him. The other thing though is what will we do about the Dark Stone and Zekrom... Just where is it?"

"Let's just leave this place for now," Lucas says as he places a hand to his left temple.

"I can't believe N has to get help from that jerk," Black mumbles, his face gaining this intense look of anger as he thinks about Ghetsis. His eyes flash red for a moment.

"Yeah, this place is annoying me." Following Alder, the teenage trainers leave the Relic Castle through the stairs just up ahead.

Outside, the sandstorm continues to grow worse. Alder complains, "What's with this storm?"

"It's times like this I'm glad to have glasses," Cheren says as he adjusts his specs.

"Ah! Sand got in my eye!" White shouts in pain.

"Stupid sand, stupid Plasma, stupid Ghetsis..." Black continues to mumble angrily, even as he walks along the sand.

"Black, where are you going?" White asks him.

Instead of answering her, Black yells out to the sky. As he does an electromagnetic pulse releases from his body, and a sphere forms around them. This sphere causes the sand from the storm to freeze in mid air, as if time has stopped.

"What... What's going on?" Cheren questions.

"Look!" White shouts, pointing to Black. Everyone turns to the black protagonist, where a black sphere can be seen glowing in his stomach.

Black turns to the others, revealing his darkened raven hair and crimson red eyes. "**Let's go**," he says before walking towards the exit to the Desert Resort.

Without question, the four of them follow after Black outside of the Desert Resort, whatever power he's using now deflecting the storm. Once they leave the resort, the sphere of electricity cancels out, and his features return to normal. He also passes out, collapsing to the ground. White goes running towards her brother, shouting, "HILBERT!"

Some time passes by after his super power episode. The group is now inside of Nimbasa's nearest hospital, standing by Hilbert's bedside. Whatever power he unleashed, he hasn't woken in the 3 hours he used it before. Now the five of them, including Elesa, Alder and Cheren, are waiting for the doctor to come back in.

"Thank you for waiting." Speak of the devil; dark skinned beauty Dr. Julia Heartstalker walks inside of the room with a yellow envelope. She pulls out an X-ray photo of Black's abdomen and chest. "Alder."

"Thanks for doing this for me," Alder says as she places the photo up to the window, the light giving a clear view. It shows Black's bones and other stuff that should be there, but not the thing that shouldn't. "Huh?"

"There's nothing there," Cheren says in shock.

"But I saw a black orb inside of him!" White shouts, trying to convince herself she isn't crazy. She turns to Lucas and says, "Lucas, you saw it too before, right? That black orb that disappeared when it hit Black didn't disappear! It went inside of him, didn't it?"

"I believe you White," Elesa says, her eyes darting at Black. "But then why?"

"We couldn't find anything out of the ordinary," Julia says to the group. She then walks over to Black as she says, "We also performed a blood test. Whatever that was you explained about, I can't really explain it. Still, I'd have to say he's in perfect health.

"Let him sleep and he'll wake up on his own," Julia finishes before walking over to Alder to retrieve the photo. "Thank you for your time."

Julia then exits the room, leaving the five humans unable to comprehend what's going on. Elesa breaks the 60 second silence by saying, "Black, I want to know what's happening to you, so I can help you."

"That was the Dark Stone," Lucas says, gathering everyone attention. "Wouldn't it make sense for it to be that thing we were looking for this entire time?"

"So you're saying, instead of searching the whole world for it, it turns out to be in our hands the entire time." Alder states as he crosses his arms and looks out the window.

Before anyone could make a move, a familiar ringing goes off. White looks at her Xtransceiver, only to find it isn't hers. She turns to Black, noticing the ringing's coming from his. She turns it out, and Professor Juniper's face appears. "Hilbert? Hilbert? Hello? HILBERT!"

"Professor?" White exclaims.

"Where's Black? I need him to get to Nacrene City yesterday!" she says in a frantic panic.

"Uh, but I don't think..." White tries to scramble for words to properly explain the situation.

"Ugh, what's with all the noise..." Black complains as he sits up.

"Hilbert!" Elesa says out of relief.

"Huh? What are you guys doing here?" he asks them.

"Black! I need you to get to Nacrene as soon as you can! Now even!" Juniper shouts before she cuts the connection.

Alder walks over to Black and says, "I could hear her voice over there... I can get us all there within an hour."

"But Black's still injured!" White says as she hugs her brother.

"White, I'm fine. I just passed out I guess," he says as he gets up out of bed. "Besides, I want to find out what's so important."

"But...!" White is about to tell him to stay put, but Lucas places a hand to her shoulder. "Lucas..."

"Let's go. He needs to change," Lucas says as he drags her out of the room. Elesa, Alder and Cheren leave as well.

"I'll go to Opelucid City and keep track of Team Plasma," Cheren says as he heads for the exit.

White pushes Lucas off of him. "Why are you letting him put himself in danger? He could still be hurt!"

"The professor might know what to do," he says, pointing to his stomach. He's really talking about Black's stomach, where the Dark Stone is. "We can't ignore this problem."

"Lucas..."

"I'm ready!" Black comes out of the room with all his stuff ready.

Not wasting anymore time, they walk outside the hospital. There, Alder takes out a Pokeball. "Go, Volcarona!"

He sends out his strongest Pokemon, the moth Volcarona. White, Black and Lucas look up in awe at the high level Pokemon. The twins take out their Pokedex and scan it. "Volcarona, the Sun Pokemon: The fire created by Volcarona can be seen as a substitute for the sun. Its embers are also released with each flap of its six wings."

"Hop on! Volcarona can carry all of us," Alder says as he climbs up his Pokemon. After the four travelers climb aboard, Volcarona takes them to their destination in Nacrene City.

Time passes by as they fly towards the city, and before long the reach Nacrene. After landing they dismount the Pokemon, and Alder retrieves it. Black then looks around for the professor.

"Where is she?" he asks while searching for her.

"There you are!" They could hear her voice just close by. Black and White look north to the museum, where they see her waving at them. The twins and Lucas run towards the woman, and as they near her they also see the gym leader of Nacrene Lenora, her father Cedric, and Bianca. "Hilbert, Hilda, I'm afraid you're caught up in something serious."

"Bianca? Professor? What are you guys doing here?" White asks them. She didn't notice Alder and Elesa joining up with them.

"I did some research into the Dark Stone what happened yesterday, and I found out that it used to be on display here in Nacrene," Cedric says to the teens.

"Apparently, Team Plasma hadn't noticed the stone when they stole the dragon skull, believing they could revive the legendary dragon Pokemon with it," Lenora explains to them. After a moment she frowns, saying, "But apparently someone else did. A mysterious figure stole the stone while Team Plasma was active here. We didn't notice because it was an old stone, so we didn't think it was important."

"We don't have to look for it anymore," White says to the professors and Lenora. She then turns to her brother, saying, "It's inside his stomach."

"What?" Everyone else, including Black, says in shock.

"The stone took refudge inside of Black's body. We don't know why, and we can't prove it either," Elesa says in support to White. "We tried to get an X-ray scan, but it didn't."

"I see," Cedric says in excitement. "The stone is actually Zekrom, so it's a living being and not just a rock! It must have fled whoever stole it and picked Black!"

"But why? Why Black?" White asks, but she receives no answers. Sadden, she lowers her head.

"White, let's try to think positive. We have the dark stone, so we can awaken Zekrom," Black says to her, trying to cheer her up. "We can still stop N."

"Wait Black." Alder steps in now. "You do realize what you're saying, right? If Zekrom does awaken from the stone, that means you'll have to battle N in the off chance that I lose. Are you okay with that?"

Black pauses for a moment to think. Everyone looks at the young trainer, who feels unsure what to say. Shaking his head suddenly, he finally says, "Yes... N challenged me, and no one else. So I have to be the one to stop him."

"Thank you then..." Alder says, patting Black's head.

"But first we have to get it out of you," White says as he looks down at his stomach.

"White, quit worrying. That's my job, remember?" Black tells her.

"How can I not worry when you're doing something reckless? It's just like the time you jumped into an attack and got hospitalized!" she says to him.

"White, let's trust in him. I'm his trainer, so you don't have to worry about a thing," Lucas says with a grin, giving her a thumbs up. White scowls at first, but couldn't help but give a quick grin.

"Then it's settled; you'll be plan B," Lenora says as she pats Black's shoulders. "You've really changed a bit from the time we met before... Protect this ideal world and the true future for us and Pokemon."

"I will..." Black says before nodding.

"...But, how do we wake the dragon Pokemon?" Cedric asks. This raises questions amongst the group, who had no clue either.

"Uh..." Audrea turns to Lenora and asks, "Anything?"

"...Ooh! We can ask those two!" she shouts in a sudden tone. "Drayden and Iris are dragon experts!"

"She is?" Lucas and Black ask.

"Who's Drayden?" White asks. "For that matter, who's Iris?"

"Drayden is the gym leader of Opelucid City," Elesa says to her. "Sometimes though he lets his daughter Iris battle challengers too. She's about as strong as him."

"EH?" Lucas and Black exclaim.

"I'll head for Opelucid myself. You guys can meet me there," Alder says to him as he takes to the skies with Volcarona.

"Goodluck Black, we're all counting on you," Audrea tells him.

"Don't forget that you always have Pokemon right by your side," Cedric says with a grin. "Me and my daughter will go do more research on these dragon legendaries to try and help you."

With that the two professors leave the scene. Once they're gone Black gives out a heavy sigh, saying, "I'm not sure if I'm really good for this..."

"Don't worry, you've got us, remember?" Lucas tells him, wrapping his left arm around his neck and hugging him. White, deciding to act like herself now, joins in on the hug.

"This sounds serious, but good luck Black!" Bianca says as she heads after the professors.

Once Lenora and Bianca leave, Elesa joins in on the hug too. "When you want to reach Opelucid then you'll have to go from Icirrus to the Tubeline Bridge."

"Don't you mean we?" White asks her. At this moment everyone moves off of Black.

"I can't. I have to return to Nimbasa for my career," Elesa tells them.

"Good luck at your work Elesa," Black says to her.

Instead of giving an answer, Elesa grasps Black in a hug and kisses him passionately. Black returns the kiss, and that familiar spark hits her senses. Leaning out of the kiss, her tongue sliding under his upper lip, she looks at him with a face flushed with redness. "Good luck in the last gym battle."

Elesa then walks away, heading for Nacrene's western exit. White watches as Elesa leaves, saying, "She was crying inside."

"Eh?"

"Nevermind," White says as she grabs both of the boy's arms. "Let's get some training done before we go."

"You two really should," Lucas says as he gazes at the scenery. His vision messes up a little, but then it fixes up rather quickly. 'Why are my eyes messing up? Everything's turning blurry and dark...'

"Yeah right! You've been out of training so long you don't know how to throw a Pokeball anymore!" White says, finding herself cheering up as she taunts Lucas.

"Hey, shut up!" Lucas shouts, fuming from the ears. "I may be a little out of practice, but I didn't get to become the Sinnoh Champion by a fluke!"

The two trainers stare at Lucas for the longest time, with these shocked expressions. "EH?"

"What?"

"You used to be a champion?" Black asks him.

"Yeah... Didn't I tell you?" he says with a tilt of his head.

"NO!" shouts the twins.

"...Oh yeah... Well my rank has probably been revoked since no one remembers me, but oh well. I'll just win it back," says the diamond protagonist with a shrug. "Let's get to training."

"Sure thing, champ," Black says with a small grin. As they head for the field, the twins notice him slapping his forehead a couple of times. "Something wrong?"

"Nah, just my ears hurt a little," he says, digging into his ears. 'Is there something seriously wrong with me?"

As they leave to train, Elesa can be seen spying on them exit. Before leaving she says, "I'll tell him later. There's too much going on to tell him about us and Skyla."

After spending time in the fields surrounding Nacrene training their Pokemon, enough time has rolled by for the day to end. Lucas and his friends then head off for Icirrus City, courteous of Archer. Black treats him to his favorite meal for his trouble, otter meat.

Around the evening Black can be seen standing outside of Icirrus's center, staring out into its landscape. His eyes take in the snow just hours away from fully melting. "My body has Zekrom in it... It's weird thinking about it..."

"**Yeah, freaky ain't it?**" a voice speaks to him. Looking around Black tries to find the source of the voice. "**I'll speak to you later.**"

"Wait! Who are you?" Black receives no answer. 'Was that Zekrom talking to me?'

"Black!" Looking off to the side he spots Bianca coming up to him. She trips and falls, knocking him over.

"Ow! You need to learn how to walk!" Black complains as he helps her up.

"I'm sorry," she says, her heart beating fast as she feels his hands together around her. Bianca pulls out soon and stands next to him. "Anyway, I came to see you..."

"Really?" he exclaims.

"As I've been traveling lately, I've been thinking about things," she begins, staring deep into his brown eyes. "Things like what I can do with my life, and what I want to do, but... I'm thinking about how cool it would be to be a model like Elesa, and then how cool it would be to do Pokemon research like the professors... There's so many things I can't stop thinking of, so to end it, I will just focus on what's in front of me... So, please battle me."

Black takes a moment to think over what she said, and smiles. He then takes out a Pokeball, saying, "Yeah."

"Go!" Bianca sends out Stoutland. Black almost immediately takes out his dex and scans it. "Stoutland, the Big-Hearted Pokemon: This extremely wise Pokemon excels at rescuing people stranded at sea or on mountains."

"Alright, I choose you, Sir C!" Krookodile appears before the dog, both of them growling with anticipation. "Brick Break!"

"Retaliate!" Stoutland pounces at Sir C, dodging his karate chop.

"Block and strike back with Brick Break!" Sir C grabs hold of Stoutland's head to block the attack, before slamming a karate chop down at him.

"Roar!" Stoutland regains its composure before giving out a huge yell. Sir C is soon forced back inside of his Pokeball.

"What the?" Black looks down at Sir C's ball.

"Roar forces a Pokemon to retreat. Pretty slick, huh?" she says with a grin.

"Damn... Let's go, Date!" Black sends out his Pokemon Date, who draws both his blades with eager. "Razor Shell!"

"Crap! Work up!" Stoutland rouses itself for battle, but that doesn't prepare it for a slash coming from Date's blade. Being knocked down, Stoutland rolls over the ground until she faints. "Stoutland!"

"Is she okay?" Black asks her.

"Thanks for working so hard. You deserve a good rest," Bianca says as she retrieves her Pokemon. She takes out another ball and sends it to battle, calling out Simisage. "Seed Bomb!"

"Deflect them with your swords and go in for Slash!" Date begins blocking the seeds with his blades, but with each explosion his surroundings are covered by smoke.

"Fury Swipes!" Simisage sneaks into the smoke to give a flurry of scratches. After a few hits Date kicks him back and slashes at him, missing unfortunately. "Seed Bomb!"

Simisage tosses a small seed at Date, catching him in an explosion. Date falls backwards from the hit, but manages to stand back up. "Date, return!"

Black recalls his Pokemon, feeling he might be totally outmatched. He then sends out a new ball, revealing Raika. "Raika, Flame Charge!"

Raika charges at Simisage with all her speed, who dodges at the last minute. "Use Flame Charge again!"

Raika charges at Simisage once more, who evades at the last minute this time. 'Raika's getting faster?'

"Stomp!" Raika appears behind Simisage, stomping hard on his back and pummeling him to the ground. "Thunderbolt!"

Raika releases one hundred thousand volts throughout Simisage's body, who tries to push the zebra off of him. "Seed Bomb!"

Simisage tosses a bomb to the ground, using its smoke to escape the startled zebra. "Seed Bomb again!"

"Raika, Thunderbolt!" Raika manages to expel the bombs again, before firing in all direction. "Wait, that's too much!"

"What's going on?" Bianca asks, backing away to avoid an electric stream.

Black's eyes turn red for a moment, his hair becoming black as well, and he releases black electricity to protect him and Bianca. Raika's electricity manages to hit Simisage, paralyzing him successfully. Black's features return to normal, although Bianca doesn't notice, and he returns his attention to the battle.

'Was that the stone's power at work? Oh well.' "Raika, Flame Charge!" Raika dashes at Simisage as fast as her current speed could take her, surrounding herself in flames before tackling the grass monkey. Simisage rolls along the ground before stopping. He glances at Raika and faints.

"Alright!" Black shouts proudly. Bianca smiles looking at him, her eyes giving a soft look to the boy she cares deeply for. "Okay, I'm two for three. One more!"

"No, that's enough. You win," she says with a smile, retrieving Simisage. "I'm really impressed with your skill..." Bianca pauses for a moment to adjust her hat. "In Castelia City, my precious Pokémon was stolen by Team Plasma. So I really, really understand! If Team Plasma forces everyone to liberate their Pokémon, there will be nothing but sad people! ...Black, stop Team Plasma!

"Pokemon shouldn't be stolen from people who love them!" she finishes, walking closer to him. "Isn't that the true, er ideal, that you've been searching?"

"...To be honest, I think N may be right," Black says to her, shocking the woman. "The truth is, there are people who will mistreat Pokemon. But that's not the whole truth; there are also people who love to be with Pokemon, and even if that may be a lie I'll make it true!"

"Black..." Bianca steps forward and hugs Black, causing him to blush a bit. After a while she realizes what she's doing, and pulls back. "Kya! What am I doing? I was just trying to help you relax, and ended up making you uncomfortable... Anyway, you'll be fine. Just be yourself, okay?

"Bye!" With that, Bianca leaves as fast as she could, hiding the blush on her face.

Black watches as she leaves, turning his eyes away once she's out of sight. He smiles for a moment, thinking about what she was doing. "...Thanks Bianca... I guess I was kind of bumming out about this duty."

"Black!" White calls out just north of his position. Black heads to join her and Lucas, just as she says, "I just saw the battle from here. Was that Bianca?"

"Yeah. She's getting better at battles," Black says as he scratches the back of his head.

"Aw... I was hoping to speak with her before she left..." White complains, giving her worse frown.

"Let's turn in. It'll be dark soon," Lucas says as he turns to the Pokemon center south west of their position.

"Nah. Let's get going to Opelucid City," Black says with a grin.

"Eh?" Lucas exclaims.

"What, don't have the energy?" he says, taunting the teenage champion.

He falls for it, adjusting his hat and storming for Route 8. "Let's go!" White shrugs as she follows the two boys towards Route 8. She doesn't have to heal her already full-at-health Pokemon so it's okay to travel a bit more.

The trio head through the murky swamps littering the pathway to Opelucid City, occasionally running into a Shelmet here and there along the way. They soon reach what appears to be a long bridge, connecting their location further east. Without worry they cross over, ignoring the cars and trucks driving underneath them.

Halfway across the bridge, Black's eyes pick up someone just up ahead. "Who's that?"

"You see someone?" White asks him.

"I don't," Lucas says, but with his messed up eyes he could hardly see close up.

Black's eyes manage to focus in, and he sees that it's Ghetsis. "It's him, Ghetsis!"

"Ghetsis?" White exclaims.

"That old man again?" Lucas mutters.

Before he could do anything, the Shadow Triad show up around Black. As if on cue, the left one says, "Come," before they grab him and drag the teen over to their leader.

"We've brought the boy," the Shadow Triad say, dropping Black to the ground.

Ghetsis looks down at the boy, shaking his head with disappointment. "So I've come to hear that you possess the Dark Stone."

"That's right... What's it to you?" Black asks him just as his friends come up to join him.

"It is my lord N's thought that the two holders of the legendary Pokémon should put their beliefs on the line and strive to find which is the true hero," Ghetsis says, crossing his arms under his chest. As he speaks he walks to his left and then his right. "This is not necessary, however. From his infancy, I provided him with the education required to become the hero of legend. Indeed, he has been so acknowledged by the legendary Pokémon.

"...Such purity of purpose is his," Ghetsis continues, giving an evil chuckle. "The liberation of Pokémon of which I...I mean, Team Plasma speaks is the separation of Pokémon from foolish people! That's the truth! All Trainers will become helpless to resist us! We alone will be able to use Pokémon...

"The preparations are complete; when my perfect plan is set in motion, first a few gullible Pokémon Trainers who are unable to resist Team Plasma will release their Pokémon." As he speaks he uses his fingers to resemble numbers, further emphasizing his point, "Then that number will become a hundred, then a thousand... In no time, even the Gym Leaders and the Champion will become unable to fight us. Having a Pokémon will be considered a bad thing! Even people like the sad little Bianca, whose Pokémon was stolen in Castelia, will be unable to face public opinion and will release their Pokémon! That's the kind of world we'll make!"

As he finishes all three teens grow angry at Ghetsis. Lucas takes a few steps forward, but Black grabs him by his shoulder to stop the Aura user. Ghetsis then finishes by saying, "It doesn't matter if you have the stone! There is no way in hell that the dragon will accept an ordinary human like you! It'll simply use you as a host until it finds a better one!

"Goodluck finding whatever courage you'll need to lose!" Ghetsis then leaves, giving an evil laugh as he does. The ninjas follow after him.

"...I really hate that guy," White says as she crosses her arms. "All he does is talk and insult others like he's some stuck-up king!"

"How does he seem so sure you won't be able to awaken Zekrom?" Lucas questions as he stares at the black and white protagonists.

"**Because he's an asshole**," Black says suddenly. He shakes his head for a second, before saying, "Let's keep moving."

They continue, leaving the bridge to reach the next route. On the other side they could see a shopping mall just north of where they were walking. Looking up at the skies they could see that time has passed, enough for twilight to have turned into night.

"Let's hurry." Lucas' suggestion is heavily taken, as the three protagonists head straight for Opelucid City. They didn't even bother stopping to check the Pokemon in the area. From experience Lucas knows full well not to camp out; even though it did give him some intimacy with Cheryl, they couldn't sleep well knowing Pokemon that were wild and possibly carnivorous were around.

Eventually they reach the city, it being so dark the lights have gone up. They book a room in the center, the last one at that, and go to bed without even taking a bite to eat. Lucas didn't like that either.

That Morning...

"Attention trainers! If you can stop looking at my hair for a moment I must speak with you!" a voice shouts out on a loudspeaker.

The volume of the voice wakes up Black, White and Lucas. Dressed in their pjs, the protagonists leave their bed with drowsey eyes, walking outside of the center to see what's going on, even as the loudspeaker continues. Black even complains, "Sheesh, what's with all the noise?"

They head for a crowd of people in the middle of town by members of Team Plasma. White grumbles, saying, "It's Ghetsis again..."

"Guys, over here," a voice speaks to them. Black turns to the left to see Alder standing just outside of the crowd. "Ghetsis, that liar... Desperately trying to con everyone with his speech..."

"What's he doing now?" White asks in a whiny tone.

"That's correct! Our lord N has combined his power with the legendary Dragon-type Pokémon and intends to create a new world. We herald the return of the hero of Unova, founder of this region," he speaks, causing worry and murmer to plague the crowd of people listening. Even people in their homes and buildings along with Pokemon nearby are listening with intent.

"Hero?"

"Dragon?"

"Legend!" These are just some of the words that could be heard by the group of heroes aiming to stop Plasma.

"As you all know, Pokemon are different from humans," he continues, beaming his eyes further into the crowd to spot Lucas and his friends. "They are living beings with unknown potential, living beings from whom we humans have much to learn... Their greatness should be acknowledged!" Ghetsis extends his left hand out. "They are beings who should be freed from our oppression!

"We of Team Plasma invite you to join us!" he continues, glancing at the people who each have doubts in their hearts. "Let's all create a new world, where people and Pokemon are both free! That's why I ask of you to release your Pokemon.

"Thank you for your time..." With that the other grunts of Team Plasma roll up the scrolls and leave the city with Ghetsis.

Upon exit, Alder smacks his forehead with disbelief. "That guy's pissing me off!"

"Is he right? Have we been making Pokemon suffer?" asks an older man as he looks to his daughter.

"I just can't believe it," a teenager their age speaks.

"Maybe we should release our Pokemon like they said..." A woman in white states.

"No way! I'll be lonely and sad without Pokemon!" A hiker states.

Soon the crowd disperses, to discuss their thoughts in private, leaving only the three color protagonists, Alder and two others behind. Lucas recognizes one of them as Iris.

"What was that about? That speech was off-the-charts weird!" She states.

"The cooperation of people and Pokemon is how Unova, and pretty much the entire world, came to exist in the first place. If Pokemon hated being with humans, they can just leave... A Pokeball doesn't capture a Pokemon's heart, the trainer does with their actions." These words Iris speaks give an impressed smile on Black's face.

"Iris! Drayden! It's been a while!" Alder speaks as he walks over to them. Next to Iris is an older man with white hair and a beard; his beard looks like a jaw though.

"Ah, Mr. Alder! ...And Lucas!" Iris says, noticing the boy who helped her and Bianca that time.

"Ah yes, Alder. What brings you here?" Drayden asks him.

"Actually, I have something to ask of you..." Alder places a hand onto Black's shoulder. "We need info on the legendary dragon Pokemon."

"...Do you mean Reshiram, or Zekrom?" Iris asks him.

"That troublemaker Ghetsis... He mentioned someone named Reshiram has reawakened Reshiram..." Drayden says as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"That's right! That trainer N wants Black here to-"

"That wouldn't make sense," he speaks, looking off to the side. A look of confusion swarms the teens.

"Why's that?" Lucas asks.

"Because Reshiram and Zekrom were reduced to stones in the past because their bodies were destroyed...the only way they could ever hope to ressurect would be by possessing a suitable human host and using their body to reconstruct their forms." Drayden's explanation brings worry to White as she turns to Black. "I'd feel sorry for whoever was picked by Reshiram."

"What happens to the host?" White asks.

"As long as Reshiram remains inside the host body it has control over their it. Once that person dies they gain full control of that body, so they might try to doom the host," Drayden explains to them, bringing worry to the trio.

"So then... Zekrom might try to get you killed Black!" White tells his brother.

"What?" Drayden questions.

"Wait, why did he protect him those times then?" Lucas asks her. "If Zekrom was inside of him those times and if this thing wanted to kill him, then all those times he was in danger would have been much worse."

"...That's right! Zekrom healed my arms, and protected me from the rocks during my last gym battle!" Black says in realization.

"You're the host?" Iris asks out of shock.

"Yeah. I was chosen for some reason by Zekrom same as how Reshiram might have done it," Black tells him.

"N probably didn't know this, but he challenged Black to find Zekrom and battle him," Alder says to the two dragon masters.

"So, this N person wants to pit the two dragons against one another to test his convictions?" Drayden asks, summing up everything he's heard.

"But the dragon types get along so well!" Iris states.

"I know...The ones who make Pokemon battle are the trainers..." Alder speaks, before turning towards Black and the others. "I'm going to the Pokemon League... Or should I say I'm returning to the Pokemon League! I'll defeat N, and teach him about the beauty of this world, where Pokemon and Trainers live together in harmony.

"I'll wait for you too, Black." He darts his eyes towards Black with a grin. "Once you've obtained the Opelucid Gym Badge, come to the League! These guys are tough though. Take care!"

With that, he releases Volcarona and flies off to the Pokemon League. Iris cups her chin, thinking out loud, "Is he okay? He looked really scary for a moment."

"He isn't the strongest trainer in Unova for nothing..." he speaks, clapping his right fist with his left hand. "Anyway, Iris take them to our place."

Drayden then walks off to his home, with Iris taking Black's hand. "This way," she says as she drags him off to their home.

"It's funny watching that happen to someone else," Lucas says as he follows after them.

"This isn't funny Lucas. Black might be hurt at the end of this!" White speaks to him. "And as much as I like to see him in embarassing situations this is too much!"

"Like I said, Zekrom might want him alive," Lucas says before jogging to pick up with the others. White sighs and joins up with them.

Inside of Drayden's home, where Iris leads the teens to, Drayden stands before the younger trainers. "I'll explain everything; Zekrom, who will awaken from the Dark Stone likely, and Reshiram, who already awoke, were once the same Pokemon."

"EH? THEY WERE?" White exclaims.

"Can you please hold your comments til later?" Iris asks her with an annoyed tone.

"Sorry."

"That single dragon, along with twin heroes, brought together a new region," Iris says, continuing his story. "And humans and Pokemon flourished together peacefully."

"But one day-" Drayden picks up where Iris left off. "-the twins, the older brother who sought truth, and the younger brother who sought ideals, started infighting amongst eachother, and attempted to decide who was right. The dragon's body became rigid because of their fighting, and its soul left before it split in two."

Iris then says, "The white dragon Pokemon wanted to pursue truth and usher in a better world with the older brother. The black dragon Pokemon wanted to find ideals to bring a world of hope. The former was Reshiram, and the later Zekrom."

"Because they were the same entity their battle raged endlessly and neither one won. Realizing neither was right, the brothers ceased the conflict... For a moment."

"Shortly after they fought again, and Reshiram and Zekrom destroyed Unova with fire and lightning!" Iris looks down with a sigh. She regains her spirit and says, "But, but... If people work with Pokémon in the right way, we don't have to worry anymore about the world being destroyed. I mean, Reshiram and Zekrom worked hard for everyone and made a new region! So, it should be all right, I think."

"She's right," adds Drayden to the lecture. "Pokemon can't talk, and people may hurt Pokemon even more by forcing their selfish thoughts on them, but another piece of truth exists within ideals. No matter what, Pokemon and humans believe in eachother, need eachother, and will continue to live together."

"And that's why I'm never gonna forgive Team Plasma for trying to separate Pokemon and us!"

Drayden coughs to clear his throat, causing Iris to blush for her outburst. "That's everything. Unfortunately, I don't know how to awaken the dragon without causing you harm. The way I see it, Zekrom will arrise when he wants to, and you'll just have to try and reason with him."

"I see..." Black sighs and places his hands into his jacket. "Oh well. I guess I'll just defeat N without Zekrom if I have to."

"How can you seem so calm about this?" White asks him.

"It's not a problem, no big deal," he replies, walking over to the door. "Hilda, you're worrying over nothing... That's something I'm suppose to do."

"Hilbert..." White follows after her brother as he heads for the exit.

Lucas begins to go after them, but stops to grab his head again. His vision messes up again, before fixing rather quickly. Drayden asks, "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just having these attacks now and then..." Lucas says as he rubs his forehead.

Drayden continues to look at him curiously, thinking there may be more to it than he lets on. Still, he doesn't mention anything about it, instead saying, "I want you to tell your friend that I intend to battle him to keep my promise to Alder."

"I'll let him know," Lucas says with a grin. He follows after his friends, who have already begun to return to the Pokemon center.

After some time passes, Black and the others have changed into their proper clothes. White notices that her brother is starting to wear a lot more black than ever, whether that's a conscious thing or not it's interesting for her, and Lucas has grey pants and a light blue(diamond blue) shirt on. Deciding to mimic them she wears more white.

"Yo, what's with all the white?" Black asks her after they leave the bedrooms.

"What's with all the black?" White asks back.

The brother pauses for a moment, before shrugging and saying, "I don't know."

"Let's get going. You have a gym match with Drayden, remember?" Lucas says to remind them.

"I know!" Black replies as he rushes out the door.

"Wait, I want to have a battle first!" White says to him.

Later Outside...

"Go, Sir C!" Black sends out Krookodile to the battlefield.

"Go, Gerdus!" White chooses Golett for battle.

The twins have decided to battle just as White wanted, right in the middle of town. A bunch of people watch with intent, hoping to see who will win, and Lucas sits by in the stands with interest. "This outta be good," he says, before slapping his face again when his vision messes up.

A little girl walks up to him and pulls on his pant legs, saying, "Mister, your eyes are cool."

"Eh? Why are they cool?" he asks her.

"Because I can't turn my eyes yellow fast like that," she says, pointing up at his eyes with a smile.

"Eh?" Lucas takes out his Pokedex, the outdated one he brought with him due to sentimental values, and uses it to see his reflection. To his surprise, he sees his natural eye color gray. "No they're not."

"Oh poop! You can't do it anymore!" she grumbles in disappointment, walking away and leaving him there.

"Gerdus, Brick Break!" Gerdus charges as fast as it could, which isn't saying much, at Sir C.

"Crunch attack!" Sir C opens his mouth to bite the karate chop, bringing pain to the golem. "Now toss Gerdus away and use Rock Tomb!"

Tossing the golem into the air, Sir C stomps the ground to surround it in rocks. "Break out using Night Shade!"

Its bright light turns dark purple before Golett fires a purple electric beam all around in a pulse wave. This destroys the rocks surrounding it, and even pulverizes Sir C once. "Use Rock Tomb once more!"

"Night Shade!" Gerdus releases Night Shade once more, repelling the crocodile and lowering his health as well. "Brick Break!"

Gerdus then charges towards Sir C and pounds it in the face, taking him off guard. Sir C falls to the ground, fainting from that lucky shot, aka critical hit.

"Sir C!" Black runs to fallen Pokemon, using a Revive to help him out.

"Way to go, Gerdus!" White says with pride for her Pokemon's victory. She runs over to it and leans over it, patting its head. "Keep this up and you'll become a great Pokemon in no time!"

Gerdus nods in response to her words, before the light in its body glows brighter. Before anything else could happen, Gerdus becomes surrounded with the bluish glow as well, growing in size and lifting the girl with it. Lucas and Black both look in amazement at Gerdus' new form. Once it stops glowing its new appearance is revealed; Golurk holding White in its arms.

"Amazing! Gerdus evolved!" White exclaims proudly. Black takes out his Pokedex and scans it. "Golurk, the Automaton Pokemon: It is said that Golurk was created in ancient times to protect people and Pokemon. Even though it can fly at mach speed, if the seal on its chest is removed its uncontrollable energy would go berserk."

"Seal?" White looks down at the bandage like seal on its chest. Pulling on it the seal loosens a bit, and soon its body begins glowing bright red. "Oh my god!"

"Put it bad!" Black shouts.

As if on cue, Gerdus slaps its chest to fix the seal. All three trainers sigh seeing that everything's fine, and White retrieves her Pokemon. "I've trained enough. You guys ready to hit the gym?"

"Will Sir C be okay how he is?" she asks him.

"I gave him a revive, and besides I'll only send him into battle if it's necessary," he says to her.

"Well, good luck I guess," White says.

Together they head for the gym just north of where they are. Inside they find a set of dragon statues planted around them. Up above them there's a platform that rests in front of them. An adult appears before them from the side, who says, "Good to see you're here. Welcome to the Opelucid Gym, the Unova region's strongest and biggest trial. Here's a brief explanation; The path around this gym is shaped like two dragons."

"That explains that..." Black mutters.

"This path changes when you step on the switches on the dragons' arms, so pay attention to how the dragons' necks move." he says with a nod.

"Got it." Black walks towards the only statue with a pathway upward. After climbing up it with his friends behind him, they manuever across the statue to reach the top of their heads. There they find a button festered inside of the head. Pressing it the head along with its next moves over to the second dragon statue. After crossover over to it they continue along the statue until reaching the head once more, and pressing a button on that statue's head. This leads them to the top floor, where Drayden awaits.

"Be careful Black. This guy holds dragon types," Lucas says to his friend.

"Because of the statues?" he asks him, receiving a nod in response.

"Dragons are the most rare and powerful types. They're only weak to ice and other dragon types, and fire, water, grass and electric types are weak to them," Lucas tells them, explaining about the powerful dragon types.

"Then I only have two Pokemon that could stand up to them," he says while clutching his chin. He approaches Drayden's battlefield, prepared for all of his battles.

Drayden takes out a Pokeball. "Welcome. Thank you for coming. I am Opelucid Pokémon Gym's Leader, Drayden. As the mayor, I've given everything to developing the city. As a trainer I've simply been pursuing greater strength. But what I'm searching for now is a young Trainer who can show me a bright future. Perhaps you can show me that future, the way Iris has?

"Go, Fraxure!" Drayden sends out his first Pokemon Fraxure.

"Let's go, Archer!" Black chooses the first bird.

"Good choice! Most of his other Pokemon don't have a type advantage over dragons, so this works in his favor," Lucas says as he looks at his Pokemon choice.

"Ancient Power!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Their attacks collide, creating an explosion.

* * *

Count za Mons! Coincidentally, what Pokemon do Black and White carry on them now?

Hilbert's Team: Date/Samurott, OOO/Victini, Sir Crocodile/Krookodile, Archer/Archeops, Raika/Zebstrika

Hilda's Team: Emolga, Gerdus/Golurk, Scolipede, Druddigon

Julia: Next time Black battles Drayden, and then the Pokemon League. He adds an Axew to his team, which evolves rather quickly into Haxorus.


	11. Chapter 11

**Journal Entry 11: The Elite Four**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

"Go, Fraxure!" Drayden sends out his first Pokemon Fraxure.

"Let's go, Archer!" Black chooses the first bird.

"Good choice! Most of his other Pokemon don't have a type advantage over dragons, so this works in his favor," Lucas says as he looks at his Pokemon choice.

"Ancient Power!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Their attacks collide, creating an explosion. Fraxure runs through the smoke towards Archer, preparing a second Dragon Pulse.

"Dragonbreath!" Archer opens wide and releases Dragonbreath upon the dragon, who couldn't use his own attack in time. "Use Acrobatics!"

"Block using Dragon Claw!" Fraxure combats Archer's attacks using his claws, which seem to work well. "Follow up with Dragon Pulse!"

Archer takes flight to avoid Fraxure's attack, but receives the blow to the stomach. Archer crashes to the ground, and Fraxure charges at him. "Archer, return!"

Black retrieves his battered Pokemon before things could get worse. "Let's go, Date!"

Black sends out his starter Date, who draws both swords with zeal. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Blow it away with Scald and follow up with Slash!" Date knocks the sphere out of his direction with boiling hot water and charges at Fraxure.

"Return!" Drayden retrieves his Pokemon before Date could do some damage. "Let's try, Haxorus!"

His next Pokemon steps out to the field, Haxorus. Black takes out his Pokedex and scans. "Haxorus, the Axe Jaw Pokemon: These Pokemon are kind, but will act fierce when defending territory. Their sturdy tusks will stay sharp even when cutting steel beams."

"Wow, that strong huh?" Black comments.

'Keep Date in play and use Scald on the arena,' a voice says in his head.

"Huh?"

'Trust me.' Its statement gives a suspicious look on Black's face, but he decides to go with it. 'This better work.'

"Date, use Scald on the ground!" Date, trusting his partner, opens fire on the ground to heat it up.

"Nice. Limiting Haxorus' movements with Scald... Haxorus, use Dragon Pulse!" Haxorus opens fire at Date.

"Block it using Megahorn!" Date aims with his horn and headbutts the sphere with it, causing an explosion. Falling on his back though he couldn't react in time when Haxorus rushes through the heated field. It burns, but Haxorus continues.

"Dragon Tail!" Haxorus spins and smacks Date with his tail, and it transports back into Black's Pokeball.

"Eh?"

"Dragon Tail forces a Pokemon back into its ball," Drayden tells him.

"Damn. I didn't know that!" Black complains. Another ball opens up, and out pops Zeros. "Eh? Zeros?"

"A legendary, huh? Assurance!" Haxorus roars before charging at Victini.

"Zeros, dodge and use Flame Burst!" Zeros takes flight to avoid Haxorus and fires a ball of exploding flames, but does nothing to deter it. "I guess fire attacks are useless."

"Dragon Dance!" Haxorus begins to stomp on the ground hard, as energy surrounds him.

'Black, you have to stop Haxorus! Dragon Dance increases its attack and speed!' says the voice in his head. 'Use Confusion!'

"Uh, use Confusion!" Haxorus's dance is interrupted as Zeros begins to lift him up. "Now use Flame Burst!"

Zero fires a second blast at Haxorus. "Dragon Tail!"

Haxorus knocks it away with his tail, but still receives damage. "Zeros, return!"

"Haxorus, return!" Drayden retrieves his Pokemon as well.

"Go, Archer/Druddigon!" Black sends out Archer while Drayden chooses Druddigon.

"Dragonbreath!" Archer takes flight and releases Dragonbreath.

"Night Slash!" Druddigon uses his claws to cut through the breath and attack Archer.

"Ancient Power!" Archer fires rocks at Druddigon, who begins to slash them apart too. "U-Turn!"

Archer flies towards Druddigon and tackles him, before he returns to Black's Pokeball. "Alright, now Date, use Scald!"

"Dragon Tail!" Druddigon uses his tail to block the scald.

"Slash!" Date charges at Druddigon and begins to hack and slash at him, pulling off successful critical hits.

"Night Slash!" Druddigon grabs hold of one of the blades and begins to rub his skin on the otter, damaging him.

"Rough skin... Date, use Scald!" Date opens his mouth wide, but instead of hot water out shoots a tremendous stream of water that completely blasts Druddigon away. He faints after wards. "Wow... That was Hydro Pump."

"Nice going." Drayden retrieves his Pokemon, and holds out another ball. "Let the battle resume."

He sends out Fraxure. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Knock it back using Slash!" Date draws his blades and slashes at the sphere with one sword, using the dull side to deflect it. Fraxure ducks underneath the attack. "Hydro Pump!"

"Dodge and use Dragon Claw!" Fraxure leaps over the powerful water stream to come down upon the samurai. Date raises his arms to block the attack, using his scabbard arms to deflect his claws.

"Megahorn!" Date jabs Fraxure in the face with his attack, sending him back a bit. "Date, return!"

Black retrieves his Pokemon once more. "Let's finish this up, Zeros," he says as his next Pokemon Zeros appears to the battle. "Flame Burst!"

"Fraxure, Dragon Pulse!" Fraxure attacks back and counters using his own attack. "Fraxure, Dragon Dance!"

"Like I'll let you! V-Create!" Victini collects flames on his ears and flies towards the dragon in a tackle.

Drayden smiles, saying, "Gotcha. Fraxure, Dragon Tail!"

Fraxure cancels the Dragon Dance and smacks Zeros away, sending him back to his ball. Out pops Archer, who seems a little upset being forced out like that. "I'm not ready to send out Archer yet. Archer, return!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Before he could retrieve his Pokemon, Archer gets blasted by Dragon Pulse. The smoke clears, revealing the first bird has lost.

"Archer!" Black calls out in concern. He retrieves is Pokemon and sadly pockets the ball. "He led me right into a trap."

"Both of our remaining Pokemon have taken powerful hits. It'll be decided in these last few rounds," Drayden says to Black.

"He's right..." Black sends out his next Pokemon, Zeros. 'We're gonna have to decide this quickly.' "Zeros, do you trust me?"

Victini turns back at Black, and using psychic powers reads his mind. He shrugs, knowing that would be the easiest way to win. "Alright, let's do it!"

'What's he up to?' Drayden thinks. "Fraxure, Dragon Dance!"

"Zeros, charge straight in using Zen Headbutt!" Zeros flies towards Fraxure, keeping his eyes peeled on the dragon's tail.

'Gotcha!' "Dragon Tail!" Fraxure cancels the dance and spins quickly to attack Zeros with his tail.

"Combine Zen Headbutt with V-Create!" The psychic aura of Zen Headbutt combines together with the flaming ears of V-Create. Upon colliding with Dragon Tail, it captures them both in a huge explosion. Both Drayden and Black cover their eyes upon impact, along with White. Lucas does no such action, mostly because the vision he has is as messed up as a dog's.

The smoke clears, viewing Zeros on top of a defeated Fraxure. Both have fainted from that impact. "I'm sorry, Zeros," Black says to his Pokemon as he retrieves it. "I'll treat you to your favorite later."

'He combined two attacks into one...' Drayden thinks in his head as he eyes Black.

'That's my apprentice! He's already combining attacks,' Lucas thinks with a grin.

"And now we're done to one," Drayden says as he calls back Fraxure. He sends out his ace, Haxorus, who roars upon exit.

"Let's go, Date!" Black chooses his own ace. Date stands on his hands and feet, aiming his horn directly at the dragon. "Date, use Slash!"

"Slash!" Haxorus charges at Date, clashing his tusks with his blades.

"Hydro Pump!" Date opens wide and fires a jet stream of water at Haxorus, who opens his mouth to drink it. "EH?"

"It's still just water, and Haxorus is dragon so it's not so much a threat to it," Drayden tells him. Haxorus finishes his drink and pushes forward, knocking Date to the ground. "Dragon Pulse!"

"Roll underneath Haxorus!" Date rolls under the dinosaur to avoid the pulse. "Use Slash!"

Date, with one blade, cuts Haxorus in the stomach and sends it flying over two feet away. Haxorus lands, feeling the wound left behind. Date collapses to one knee, breathing heavily. The dragon on the other hand has no problem.

Blue energy surrounds Date, who glares ahead at the dragon. "Date?"

"His ability is activating," Lucas says. "Torrent increases Date's water power when his health is low; an ability similar to Blaze and Overgrow."

"Really? Alright, a power boost!" Black says with a grin. "Hydro Pump!"

Date opens his mouth and fires a a powered up blast of water that manages to push away Haxorus. Haxorus slips off the edge of the battlefield. "Haxorus!"

"Date!" Date slides towards Haxorus across the water, grabbing hold of his tail to save him. Date pulls back, saving Haxorus from a probably fatal fall. Haxorus stands up on two feet, giving Date a thankful nod before preparing himself. "Good. Date, finish this battle with Razor Shell!"

"I thank you for that. Haxorus, this is the moment of truth," Drayden says to Black and then his Pokemon. "Slash!"

Date, with one single blade, slides towards Haxorus. Haxorus stomps on the ground, causing the otter to slip a bit. He then takes this moment to charge at him, using his sword to leave a slash horizontally along Haxorus' body. The dragon is lifted off of the floor by the attack, and crashes to the ground lying on his back.

Haxorus has fainted.

"ALRIGHT! HILBERT WON!" White shouts happily.

"Good job," Lucas says.

"Yeah! We did it!" Black cheers, along with a tired Date.

Drayden gives a small smile. "This intense feeling that floods me after a defeat... There's nothing like it!"

Drayden walks towards Black after retrieving his Pokemon. "I'm glad I got the chance to battle you. Your fighting style has earned you this badge."

Drayden digs into his coat pocket to take out the Rising Badge, the last one for Black's collection. "So, this is the last badge."

"With the Rising Badge you are now qualified to challenge the Elite Four," Drayden says to the black protagonist. "Now, there is something I would like to ask you."

"Yeah?" Black looks up to him.

"I want you to go after Alder," Drayden says to him. "The Pokemon League is close by beyond Route 10, which is connected to Victory Road. I know of Alder's strength, but not the depth of N's power."

"You don't? Didn't you battle him?" Lucas asks him. "I thought that a trainer must have all eight badges of a region in order to face the correspondent champion."

"That is true..." Drayden tells him. "But, there is a chance he may have collected them due to his status as leader of Team Plasma. They could easily gather the eight badges and hand them to him."

"That makes sense," Black says.

"Let's go then, and stop N from making a huge mistake!" White says as she grabs both Black and Lucas and heads for the warp panel which would take them to the front door.

Heading out Black and his friends leave the gym, and spots the lovely professor Juniper outside. "Hey, how was the battle?"

"Uh, great... What brings you here?" Black asks her.

"I came to report on how to resurrect Zekrom," she begins.

"It's okay, I know. Zekrom will come out when he wants to," Black tells her, to which she nods.

"That's about it... I thought I should tell you in person instead of through the Xtransceiver," Juniper says to him. "Zekrom will arise when it sees someone worthy... Speaking of which, aren't you amazing? Winning all 8 badges within the course of a month!

"You and your Pokemon have grown so much stronger... You probably don't even realize it, but you've changed so much since you left Nuvema." At that, Black couldn't help but smile; being praised by the professor isn't something he'd expect to get. "I assume you know where Victory Road is, right?"

"Uh... Up there?" White asks, pointing northeast of their position.

"Exactly, Route 10," Juniper says to her. "Once you arrive at the Badge Check Gate you'll be asked to present your 8 badges at each gate, using it to actually open them. Once you reach the Victory Road and pass through, you'll be able to challenge all the members of the Elite Four."

Juniper turns to Black and his sister with a concern look. "Black, White, do either of you regret setting out on this journey?"

Black and White turn to eachother and then back at the professor, saying in unison, "Of course not."

"If I had stayed, I never would have met wonderful guys like Date and Zeros, nor would I've met Elesa," Black says. "Even if there's a dragon in my head I'll still be glad I left Nuvema."

"I'm glad to have left too. I miss being in Nuvema, but I've loved being out in the world and being around others..." White says with a smile.

"That's good... Thank you for your answer," the professor says as she prepares to leave. Before she does she takes out two balls and hands them to Black and White. "Here, these are Master Balls."

"Eh?" Lucas snaps.

"Master balls?" Black takes his and examines it.

"Are these even better than Ultra Balls?" White asks her.

"They're the ultimate Pokemon catching system. One try is all that's needed to capture a Pokemon," Juniper tells them. She then closes her eyes to say, "This is all I can do to support you... Except I can tell you to be true to yourself... No matter what happens, stay strong and keep going with your Pokemon!"

She then leaves, letting the trainers go about their way. Black takes in a deep breath before sighing, and says, "Thanks professor."

Later That Day...

"Ah, what a great meal!" Lucas says as he finishes eating. 'Now if only I could enjoy it.'

"I could literally feel the flavors kicking my taste buds' ass," Black complains as he drinks a glass of water. "Ah, better."

"Well, if we left now we could probably reach Victory Road by nighttime, but then we'd be stuck inside for who knows how long," White says as she looks at the map while stirring her soup.

"Then we can go tomorrow," Black says as he looks to the sky. He scratches the table a little, and a little static electricity releases that causes metal objects nearby to come closer. Noticing this he stops, and the objects halt in place. "I need control over these powers."

"If that's the case then I'm heading inside to take a nap," Lucas says as he takes his plate up to the counter. Black and White do the same, and watch as Lucas heads to the rooms for rest. The twins don't seem to notice someone following him.

"I'm going to go catch a new teammate," Black says as he pockets his hands and heads for the door.

"Good luck," White tells him, sighing with worry as he disappears into the distance.

Black wanders through the half high-tech, half civilization city. As he does his mind wanders to certain events that have happened: becoming a trainer, meeting N, becoming a couple with Elesa, partnering up with Victini, having Zekrom hitch a ride with his body, and being forced to battle N to save the world, sort of.

"It is allot to take in..." Black says as he sits by a building. He strokes his head back, giving off a little electric spark as he does. "Weird, I still feel kind of hungry."

"How about an ice-kabab?" a voice says. Black's eyes drift to the side to spot several flavors of ice cream balled up into dango and attached to a wooden kabab stick. The flavors consist of strawberry, cookies and cream, sea salt, mint chocolate chip, and vanilla bean. His eyes go up to see the person holding it is Elesa. "Hello, Black."

"Elesa? What brings you here?" he asks, even though he could probably guess the answer.

"I'll tell you, but first let's share the kabab." Following her words Black begins to bite on the first dango, the strawberry. Elesa eats the vanilla first and goes for the mint chip, while Black devours the cookies and cream. Upon reaching the blue sea salt ice cream, Black's tastebuds skyrocket.

'It's so salty! But it's really sweet too!' These are his thoughts as he bites into it again. Elesa does so as well, and by the time they finish off their halves, they end up kissing. Knowing they're kissing Elesa begins to kiss back as much as she could, placing her hands onto his cheeks. Hilbert places his hands on her hips, bringing her closer.

They part after a while, and look into eachother's eyes. Elesa then says, "Black, I was going to tell you this before, but I couldn't let you know when you were still upset... Back at that night when we were drunk, I found out that we did have sex with eachother, and Skyla."

Black grits his teeth hearing that, but gives out a sigh. "Fine, we did it. I'm sure we've had enough time to move on from that."

"...It's much worse than that..." she says, surprising the teen. "I was hoping to keep this secret so I could get this fixed... But we're married."

Black's eyes widen in shock. Looking at the girl he deeply cares about, his mouth falls open. "Eh?"

"You got married that night... To me and Skyla." Her words bring a huge blush to the teen's face.

He soon falls backwards, forcing Elesa to grab him. 'I knew this would happen.'

After a while Black manages to wake up again, noticing he's outside at an outside table placed by a restaurant. "Huh?"

"Oh, you're awake," Elesa says as she sits by him with a cup of tea. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I think I heard you say I was married to two women, you and Skyla," he says to her with a chuckle, not believing it to be true.

"I did say that, you are," she says, causing him to repeat his actions. Before he could pass out, she hands him the tea, and he immediately drinks it. "Feeling better?"

"..." After he sips the tea he places it on the table and shouts, "How is that possible? How did we get married? How did I get married twice at the same time?"

"Bigamy is apparently legal in Nimbasa," Elesa tells him, upsetting him more. "I knew I shouldn't have told you... I was planning on getting an annulment the moment I found out and let Skyla know so she would do the same, but then I began having second thoughts."

"What? Why?" he asks.

Elesa looks up into his eyes, giving this intense warm feeling he's felt before in small doses from her. "Because I'm falling in love with you..."

This causes Black to freeze cold, unable to make a movement or even utter a sound. "Y-Yeah?"

"Yeah..." Elesa reaches out and places her hands on his left one. "I know this is crazy, and I probably wouldn't have thought about it before, but I was wondering if it's such a bad idea to stay married to you... I figured I would give it a shot and see if we can really make it work..."

"...We got married through an accident!" Black tells her.

"I know!" she shouts back. Elesa then frowns and says, "I've told you before that I've dated other guys, and they've all been macho chuds who only care about themselves and the stock they've gained by being with me."

"Stock?"

"It's another way of saying one's popularity and worth," she says to her. "But when I'm with you, I feel much happier... Having fallen in love before, I know exactly how it feels, so I know what I'm talking about..."

"...I guess... You really do love me, do you?" he asks her.

"Of course... It's probably a shock to you, especially after all that's happened, but I've wanted to tell you this... These are my honest feelings... Do you accept them?" Elesa looks into Black's eyes as she says this, allowing him to see just how emotional her words are.

Black, finding himself speechless for a moment, places his right hand on her hands. He says, "I do."

Elesa becomes overwhelmed with happiness, smiling while tears fall from her eyes. "Thank you for understanding."

"It's okay..." He's okay with it outside, but on the inside his thoughts are still on if being married so soon is such a good idea. 'I guess it's not such a big deal... I do like her, and there is a part of me that feels empty when she leaves... Maybe that's what she feels too... I'll give it a shot.'

"But what about Skyla?" he asks her.

Elesa's eyes go wide in shock when she remembers Skyla. 'Crap! I forgot about how she'd react.' "We'll tell her, and hopefully she'll take it better than you did."

"Hey, I wasn't that bad!" Black shouts at her. She chuckles a bit and leans forward to peck him on the cheeks. "What's so funny?"

Elesa gives a content sigh and says, "It's weird. You're still the same Black I met back in Fennel's lab. I had feared Zekrom would change your personality, the one I fell in love with."

"Don't worry. No dragon is gonna control me," he says to her. "I'll stay the same, no matter what."

"Good." With that Elesa leans in to give him a hug.

"Black!" a voice can be heard calling out to him. Looking to his right, and her left, they spot Iris coming towards them. "Black! Good, you haven't left yet!"

"Iris? What brings you here?" he asks her.

"Here." Iris hands Black a small Premier Ball. "This is something from Drayden, as a gift for saving Haxorus from that fall."

"Really?" Black takes the ball. "Who's inside?"

"A female Axew. He personally trained her while traveling with this childish guy who had silver hair," she says to him. Black takes out his Pokedex and reads the Pokemon's info.

'Level 36, has a lonely nature, has the ability Mold Breaker, and knows Dragon Claw, Dragon Dance, Taunt and Swagger.' He finishes reading the info on Axew and smiles. "He looks like a hard worker."

"I know!" Iris smiles and places a hand on the Premier Ball. "Please take good care of her."

"Don't worry, I will," he says to the little girl. "Thanks Iris."

"Just remember to beat N incase you have to," Iris says with a grin.

Elsewhere...

"So cold... So cold..." Lucas complains as he tries to snuggle as much covers over himself as he can.

As he shivers, someone from afar can be seen watching him. Before he could make a move, he notices Nurse Joy walking by. Thinking fast he runs off, and a flash of light from the nearby window reveals his face; he looks like Lucas.

Tomorrow Morning...

_N walks up towards a throne, turning around to face the masses that had congregated for his coronation. Most of them are the loyal grunts of Team Rocket. Beside him is his father, Ghetsis, who steps forward and speaks in a commanding voice that echoes throughout the halls, "Attention everyone! As I await you all to stop staring at my hair I thank you today for joining for such a momentous occasion. You now bear witness to the crowning of a king: the new king of Team Plasma, the only one fit to lead this world to peace, and my one and only son! As a trainer who understands Pokemon more than anyone in the entire world, he is the only one fit to bring the truth to all those foolish humans who misuse humans so! _

_"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you your new ruler, N Harmonia!" After his impressive speech, Ghetsis raises the crown and places it upon N's head as a throng of applause erupts throughout the halls. Every member of Team Plasma cheers loudly for their new king, feeling as if all their blood, sweat and tears will finally pay off. Two women watch N amidst the crowd, one with blue hair and the other with red. They look at eachother with unease, feeling as if there might be something N doesn't know._

_'It begins! I'll make sure all those humans discover the truth! Pokemon are not tools to be used, and they'll all realize that!' These are N's thoughts as he waves to all the grunts before him._

"N?" a voice speaks to him. Opening his eyes, he looks up to see the face of a white, long haired woman with blue eyes and attire as blanc as her hair.

"Reshiram... So this is your true form?" he asks her.

"...This is my current form," she tells the human.

"It's weird... You remind me of my sister... She has long hair like that..." he says to the white dragon. He then gains a concern look and says, "Come to think of it, I haven't seen her in a while."

"What does she look like?" Reshiram asks N as she sits down beside her.

"Well, she has green hair like me, and infact wears a lot of green clothes," he tells her. "Her name is Cheryl too."

"Cheryl..." she says with interest. "I see... She must be able to talk to Pokemon like you..."

"Yeah. I actually didn't know I had a sister, not until my father told me she existed months ago in Sinnoh. So I traveled there," he tells her with a smile on his face. "Months later, earlier this spring, I was crowned the king of Team Plasma, and we began searching for you."

"...That's interesting..." Reshiram says to the king. "I would like to ask though, why do you plan to have this person Black find Zekrom and battle you? Not that I'm worried because I could crush him, but what does it matter to you?"

"...That's personal..." he says to the dragon girl. "It's something I can't speak of."

Reshiram stares at N for a moment, before grinning. "So that's it... Whatever. As long as I can fight Zekrom, I don't really mind."

N stands up from the bed and heads forward to the door. "Let's go. It's time to face the Elite Four."

While he heads for the Pokemon League challenge, four trainers are beginning to wake up. Black arises from his bed with Elesa in his arms, who couldn't pull herself away from him after her confession of love, while Lucas remains asleep. White wakes up soon after the couple, and kicks Lucas out of his bed. After a meal, with Lucas and Black being unable to enjoy it normally, they head for Route 10. As they do, a hooded figure follows them.

Leading the way, Black brushes his hair back into an electric sleek, which gains a light blue shine. Looking up ahead he sees a bridge leading across to where the Badge Gate stands. "Not far now."

"Black! White!" Bianca's voice calls out to them. Turning back the group spots Bianca and Cheren heading their way.

"Drayden and the professor told us; you're going to challenge the Pokemon League, right?" Cheren asks him.

"Yes," he answers.

"Since it's Alder, the champ, it'll be alright. The worst-case scenario would simply be you facing off against N, just as he wants," Cheren says, taking out a Pokeball. "I need to know if you can handle it!"

"A battle?" Black asks curiously.

"Go!" He sends out Simipour and Unfezant.

"Double battle, eh?" Black chooses his Pokemon without thinking, sending out Raika and Axew. "Let's go, Kinsaurus and Raika!"

"Kinsaurus?" Elesa asks in confusion. Cheren, Bianca and Lucas are confused at the name too.

"Because Haxorus is yellowish and becomes like a dinosaur," he explains to them, getting an 'oh' in response.

"Scald and Razor Wind!" As Unfezant prepares a storm to slice Black's team in four, Simipour fires a jet of hot water at the ground.

"Raika, avoid the hot water and use Thunderbolt!" Raika steps away from the water and fires a bolt of lightning at Simipour.

"Razor Wind!" Unfezant fires, diverting the bolt's directly to a mountain wall.

"Kinsaurus, use Dragon Dance!" The tiny dragon begins doing a little dance, raising her speed and strength.

"Don't let it finish; Air Slash!" Unfezant releases a shockwave of wind at Kinsaurus.

"Raika, use Flame Charge to block the wind and protect Kinsaurus!" Raika does exactly that, charging flames around her body to guard the dragon. It works better than he thought, and Kinsaurus gains her powerups. "Now, Dragon Claw and Thunderbolt!"

Raika charges lightning and fires at Unfezant, while Kinsaurus runs over to Simipour. The thunderbolt misses the bird, but Kinsaurus manages to scratch Simipour in the face. Simipour grabs hold of Kinsaurus' hands. "Lick!"

Simipour licks the dragon's face, causing her to fidget about. "Raika, Spark!"

"Unfezant, grab Simipour and use Detect!" Unfezant grabs hold of the little monkey and takes flight, avoiding Raika's attack. The zebra tries Thunderbolt, but Detect allows the bird to dodge.

'Need a way to distract that bird...' "Kinsaurus, Taunt!" Kinsaurus looks Unfezant in the eyes and begins taunting it. Angered, Unfezant comes in for an attack. "Spark!"

"Scald!" Raika charges at Unfezant, but instead of a small field of electricity around the zebra she transforms into a lightning bolt and tackles them.

"Unfezant! Simipour!" Raika lands next to Kinsaurus, having taken recoil damage.

'That was Wild Charge.' Elesa thinks in amazement.

"What was that? Oh well, great job!" Black says to his team. Cheren retrieves his Pokemon.

"Yep. You really are something else. That taunt screwed up my plans," Cheren says as he pockets his team. "Black, right now there's no way I can compete with you. If there's anything you need in your battle against N, just let me know."

"Black, there's not much I can do to help either, but I want you to have these." Bianca steps forward and hands Black three Max Revives. "These Revives can restore a fainted Pokemon to full health."

"Thanks," he says, pocketing the revives before he retrieves his Pokemon.

"Still, I think it's kind of funny, how everyone's so different," Bianca says with a chuckle.

"Funny?" White adds.

"What's funny about that?" Cheren asks her.

Bianca turns to four eyes and says, "You really need to smile more. Taking everything so seriously all the time isn't going to change the situation anyhow," she then turns to Black, White and Lucas. "Allot of stuff has happened ever since we took up Pokemon and walked the same roads together... We've all changed allot too! We found out that the things we want to do and the things we can do differ for each of us! That's what's made our journey so worth it, and that makes me happy."

Cheren sighs a bit. "So that's what you meant."

"She's right, you need to chill more," Black says as he pats his friend's shoulder. "You tend to lose some of your battles because you're too serious about it."

"...I guess. We are all different, and we should do the things that we can," Cheren says, finding himself mustering a smile. "There are as many truths and ideals as there are people and Pokémon. The most important thing is that we help one another out...That's why people and Pokémon are always by each other's side. That's what I've come to think lately...

"Black, if anything happens to you or Alder, I'll do everything in my power to help you." At the end of his speech, Cheren turns around and prepares to leave. "Try not to be reckless, k?"

"Eh?" Cheren walks off for Opelucid City.

"He's fast," Bianca says as she watches her friend jet off. "Cheren's right though. I'm going to do the best that I can as well..." Bianca begins scratching her head a bit. "Now if only there was something inspirational I could say... Try to keep your best foot forward!"

Black and Elesa tip their heads to the side hearing that. White then laughs, saying, "That's something I should say to you!"

"Right, of course!" Bianca grabs the back of her head while laughing sheepishly. Her face turns red out of embarrassment. "Well, good luck Black."

The girl's eyes turn to Elesa for a moment, and after wards to Black to say, "Please be okay. Elesa nor I would be able to take something happening to you."

"Eh?" At that Bianca walks away, while Elesa grabs hold of his arm.

"She's right, take care of yourself," she says to him. "Just remember that no one is strong enough not to rely on others, so don't be afraid to ask for help."

Black pauses for a moment thinking about her words, and smiles a little. "I won't forget, thanks."

"Anyway, let's get going. The sooner we reach the Pokemon League the sooner Black can challenge them," Lucas says before walking over to the badge gates. His vision messes up again, causing him to grab his face. 'This is starting to seem serious.'

"Lucas, is something wrong?" White asks, noticing his sudden flinch.

"No, I'm fine. My eyes just hurt a little," he says, rubbing his eyes as he continues walking.

White turns to Black and Elesa, asking them, "Have you guys ever noticed that Lucas' been acting weird lately?"

"You mean weirder than normal?" Black asks jokingly. The group soon walks after Lucas, keeping a close distance behind him.

"I mean, he's been rubbing his eyes a lot more often lately, and then there are his taste buds," White says to them, keeping a whispering tone so Lucas wouldn't hear. "He hates onions in his meals, but last time he ate a burger it had onions in it. Plus there was that time when we left the hospital and he ate. It felt as if he was eating something weird..."

Black and Elesa look at eachother for a moment, and then Elesa says, "Now that you mention it, he does seem a little different than normally. He's been wearing allot of gray and lite blue lately."

"So?" Black exclaims.

"Black, you're wearing allot of black and red. I thought it was just your personal fixation, but then I remembered that Zekrom was in a black stone. Your clothes are probably reflected upon by the dragon." Elesa's explanation causes White to widen her eyes in shock.

"That makes sense..." she says.

"Well with that logic it sounds like a dragon possessed Lucas too," Black says to her.

Elesa nods to him, and then says, "That's what I thought, since Zekrom is increasing your senses and influencing your attire, but then I figured it couldn't be the same because I was told that there are only two of those dragons, Reshiram and Zekrom. There can't be a third, can there?"

"I never heard of this legend before, but maybe there could be something we missed," Black says before crossing his arms over his chest. "Still, there's no reason to believe Lucas is in my situation, so let's just keep an eye on him before we jump the gun."

"Got it." After the girls agree, they continue after Lucas. Soon the four reach the gateway and enter inside, where they come before a deserted area. In front of them is another gate, with a man standing next to it.

"Those who are unqualified shall not pass. Prove that you own the Trio Badge!" The man says, gesturing to the hole placed between the connecting portion of the gates.

Black steps forward and places the Trio Badge in the slot, making a perfect fit. The gate opens up, and reveals a grassy meadow with a bridge over a stream.

"Holder of the Trio Badge, challenge all that you face!" says the man as he allows them to pass.

After he takes back the Trio Badge, the quartet walk through the next area, which resembles the gym where Hilbert faced Dent. Coming to the next gate the guard says, "Reveal the Basic Badge to pass!"

Black takes out the Basic Badge and places it in the slot. The gate opens up. "He who holds the Basic Badge, show the knowledge you've obtained!"

'What a ham,' Lucas thinks.

The four move forward, through a grassy plain. The normal types roaming it remind Black of Lenora. He comes before the gate, where the man guarding it says, "The key is the Incest-I mean, Insect Badge... Yeah, Insect."

'Talk about a slip,' White thinks as Lucas opens the gate with the Insect Badge.

"Holder of the Insect Badge, fight valiantly like an insect!" Black and the others move forward, going over a giant bug.

'Burgh and his insects, huh?' These are Lucas' thoughts as he goes over the beetle.

They come before the next gate, where the man says, "The key to passing is the-"

"-Bolt Badge," Black says, interrupting him. He takes out the Bolt Badge and together with Elesa they place it inside the gate's key lock. It opens up.

"Oh, holder of the Bolt Badge, unfurl a shocking battle!" Black, with his friends, heads forward with hidden zeal.

They cross over a bridge with fancy lights and such attached to it. Smiling, Elesa says, "I would have chosen the same stuff."

"Next is the Quake Badge," Black says, taking it out ahead of time.

"The key is the Quake Badge!" the man says, although Black isn't even listening. He has already placed the badge inside and opened the gate. "He who wields the Quake Badge can make their foes' hearts tremble."

'Unlike Clay,' White jokes in her head.

They walk through a valley of stones to reach the sixth gate. Black takes out the Jet Badge. "The key is-"

"-the Jet Badge, we know," Lucas says to him in an annoyed tone.

"Hey, I'm just doing what I have to. It's part of the job!" he says to them, the guard pissed at Lucas for his rude outburst.

"...My bad," Lucas says.

"Here." Black places the badge in the slot, opening the gate.

"Holder of the Jet Badge, blast ahead with tremendous force!" Black and the others head through the gate.

On the other side stands a gap between them and the other side. The only way to cross seems to be the tremendous wind blowing up from the fissure. Black complains, "Whose idea was this?"

"Don't be such a worry wart!" Lucas jumps over the gap, shocking everyone. The wind manages to lift him all the way over to the other side, where he lands without harm. "See? They wouldn't have put that there if someone would get hurt."

"I guess..." Black crosses over next, barely managing to make it over. White jumps across next, and then Elesa. When she lands Black manages to catch her in his arms, bringing a blush to both of their faces.

"Next gate," Lucas says as he points to the gate.

"This gate won't open unless you have the Freeze Badge," the guard says to them. Black takes it out and places it in the slot, opening the gate. "Oh, holder of the Freeze Badge, show the sharp edge of an icicle!"

"What does that even mean?" Lucas asks. The guy simply shrugs before they pass through.

This field is covered with ice, forcing them to skate along carefully. White manages to slip twice, much to Lucas' humor. Once reaching standing land, the guard says, "You cannot pass without the Legend Badge."

"Got it," Black says, taking out the last badge. He inserts the key inside and opens the gate.

"Oh, holder of the Legend Badge, pass through this Victory Road and you'll reach the Pokemon League at the top," he says, bowing to the trainer. The trainers go through the gate. As they leave they could hear him shout, "Prove that you, too, can become a legend!"

Leaving the gate they come before Victory Road, which appears to be a cave like last time. Black walks towards the cave, electricity sparking around his left hand suddenly. Inside he blinks in surprise to see that he can actually see. His eyes could pick up the moisture dripping from the spiked ceiling.

"Huh. It's not as dark in here as I thought," Black says as he crosses his arms.

"It's really dark in here!" White complains as she enters inside. She approaches Black, and bumps into him due to the clothes he wears being a perfect camouflage. "Oh, sorry."

"White, watch where you're going," he tells his sister.

"How can I? I can barely see you!"

"Black, how well can you see in this cave?" Elesa asks him. Lucas tries to see deeper in, but his eyes are still too messed up to see properly.

"I can see great. I don't know what's wrong with...Wait, Zekrom, right!" Black slaps his forehead realizing his senses are better than theirs.

"Aura Sphere," Lucas whispers, using his powers to create a light for them. But rather quickly his powers short out, and all that's left is a tiny ball of light. 'Eh?'

"What's that?" Black asks in disappointment.

"You call that an Aura Sphere?" White asks him, bringing him down even more.

"That's what happens when you try to show off," Elesa tells him.

"Shut up!" Lucas shouts at them.

"Maybe we could follow the color of his clothes! They're so bright we can see the bottom of an abyss-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Lucas shouts again, blushing out of embarrassment. The others laugh at his predicament.

"Lucas and I will lead the way. I can see better, and Lucas can make a light... Sort of..." Black says, walking ahead into the cave. Lucas follows in a shameful walk, while the girls trail behind.

They come to another room inside the cave, this one lit much better than the last one. Black blinks a little to adjust his eyes, and Lucas cancels his aura powers out.

White walks forward, seeing their path has conjured a fork in the road. Looking down on path she says, "It's dark to see what's down here."

"We could split up and check each one," Lucas says. No one manages to notice a Pokemon crawling over to White.

"Let's not. It might be harder to regroup," Black says to the group.

"You guys are scared over nothing-AH!" White suddenly screams out, falling to the ground.

"Hilda! What's wrong?" Black and Lucas run over to her, and stop when they see a Pokemon biting on her leg. Black kicks the Pokemon in the head, shouting, "Hey! Let go of my sister!"

He grabs the Pokemon's jaws and pulls as hard as he could. Thanks to Zekrom's influence he manages to free her, but then it begins biting his left arm. "GAH!"

"Hilbert!" Elesa and White cry out. Before it could bite down harder, another Pokemon comes out of nowhere and kicks it in the head, freeing Black and leaving a scratch along his arm.

Elesa approaches Black and holds his arm, asking, "Black, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it just really hurts," he says. Elesa takes out a first aid kit from the parcel she carries, and prepares to treat him. "No, get Hilda first. I'll just heal on my own."

Nodding, Elesa takes the first aid to White and begins treating her leg, starting with alcohol to disinfect the wound. The others look out to the Pokemon that saved Black, a Scrafty. Both it and the other Pokemon are fighting one another.

"What's a Scrafty doing here?" Lucas asks.

Black takes out his Pokedex and scans the other Pokemon. "Deino, the Irate Pokemon: Deino have no eyes, so they will bite and tackle anything they come across. Omnivorous, they can and will eat anything without a second thought."

"That explains why it attacked White and me. They can't see, so they don't know any better," Black says as he reads the Pokedex.

The Scrafty kicks Deino in the head with a Hi Jump Kick, forcing it to retreat. Of course it hits a few walls along the way, but manages to escape. The Scrafty then turns to White and walks towards her, before bowing.

"Eh? Uh, thank you?"

The Scrafty then begins speaking to White. Using his aura powers Lucas tries to read its mind. "This is interesting. This Scrafty met us before, back at the Dragonspiral Tower."

"Eh? It's that girl Scrafty I treated?" White asks in shock. Scrafty nods in response. "Ah, so you want to join my team? Well, I gladly accept your offer!"

White takes out an Ultra Ball and taps Scrafty's head with it, capturing the Pokemon. The ball shakes a bit before calming, and soon Scrafty is caught. "That was nice of her. Scrafty wanted to join me, so she followed us all this time."

"Well, good thing Scrafty showed up. It felt like it was trying to chew my arm off," Black says, gripping his slowly healing wound. "Let's get going."

Before they could move forward, another Deino comes out from the same hole; or maybe it's the same one. As Elesa carries White away, Black takes to stand, holding out Kinsaurus' ball. "Kinsaurus, use Dragon Claw!"

After being summoned, the tiny dragon attacks the blind dragon, clawing the side of its head. Deino bites at Kinsaurus, trying to get a good grip on Kin. "Use Swagger!"

Instead of using Swagger, Kin opens her mouth and fires a ball of dragonic energy at Deino point blank, causing an explosion. Deino crashes to the ground, fainting, while Kin lands by Black. "Wow, that was Dragon Pulse."

"Well, at least we know it's safer there," White says with a sheepish chuckle.

"Let's go the other way," Black says to her. Before he could Kinsaurus begins glowing brightly. "Eh?"

"It's evolving?" Lucas asks in shock.

Axew begins to grow in size, until it becomes appropriate and is revealed to be Fraxure. Black takes out his Pokedex and scans the Pokemon. "Fraxure, the Axe Jaw Pokemon: Since their tusks don't grow back, they sharpen them all the time. Most are extremely territorial."

"A Fraxure... She's gonna be a Haxorus really soon," Black says with a grin. "That reminds me, I had better train for the Elite Four."

"We can do that when we leave," Elesa says as she looks down the other pathway.

After retrieving Kinsaurus, Black and the gang head into the passageway, with Black's eyes and Lucas' 'light' leading the way. Very soon they reach the end, at the top of the mountain. They cross over to the other side of the bridge, where they see a series of buildings, the most prominent being the Pokemon League itself.

"We're here. We're finally here." Elesa states.

"Let's get going. As soon as I heal up my team I'm heading back down to train," Black says to them before heading to the Pokemon center.

"Well don't expect to go alone. I'll be coming with you!" White says to her brother as she prepares to follow him. As she does she falls to her knees, unable to walk on her feet at the time being. "Or, Elesa can go with you."

"You were hoping to spend time with your bro, huh?" the gym leader asks her.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! We've spent so much time together lately, and besides he's better off with someone watching. He'll just get into trouble," White replies, her face giving off an apparent blush. Elesa snickers a little.

"Sure, sure. I'll keep an eye on him," Elesa says with a smile. "You get that leg checked out. I would hate for my sister in law to get an infection or lose that leg."

"Yeah, thanks," White says to her as Elesa begins to carry the girl over to the hospital near the center. Reaching it, White realizes what Elesa said. "EH? Sister-in-law?"

"Yeah, it turns out me and Black are married," Elesa says, sounding happier than she's ever been.

"Wow. You sound really happy," White comments, noticing her tone and how she said it.

"I am... I can't believe it, but I actually am!" she says.

After White is checked in, Black soon has his Pokemon healed. Afterwards he heads for Victory Road to train his Pokemon, alone. Lucas, being the only one who could watch him, follows after the brown haired trainer. Although two seconds in Lucas loses track of him, and ends up outside of the cave.

"Damn it! I got lost!" he complains. He then heads back inside the cave, only to be blocked by someone. "Eh? Excuse me, but I need to go in."

"Oh don't worry. Zekrom won't let anything happen to him," the person says, surprising the teen.

"How do you know that?" Lucas asks him, getting into a defensive pose. But just as suddenly he grabs his arms, shivering. "Why is it so cold?"

"It's just you, or that body of yours," he says to the diamond protagonist. "I want you to keep pretending nothing is wrong, and make sure your friends don't know about what you really are."

"What are you talking about?" Lucas asks him.

"What do you think?" The man walks towards Lucas, who throws a punch at him. The man grabs the fist, and suddenly his arm turns into ice. Frantic and shocked, Lucas grabs his stiff ice arm and screams.

"MY ARM! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Lucas falls on his behind.

"That arm of yours is mine, as you can see," he says, tapping the teen's arm lightly twice. His arm converts from a humans to a dragon's. "Your friends were whispering before about how they thought you might be possessed by a dragon... The truth is, you're possessing my body."

Lucas looks up into the man's eyes, who pulls his hand back up to reveal his face. The teen gasps in shock seeing that he's him. "What? But how is that-"

Fake Lucas laughs, interrupting him. "What you're in right now is my body, one fashioned to resemble your original one. I on the other hand am possessing your body, something I stole after I ate it back at the Dragonspiral Tower."

"What? ...So, that was you! You were that growl that kept following me!" Lucas shouts at him. "Give me back my body, whoever you are!"

The imposter laughs again, before tapping Lucas' arm to return it to normal. Taking out a bar of icecream kept in his jacket he unwraps it, takes a bite and says, "I can't. I haven't experienced enough. I can take back my body at any moment and add it with yours, but that would kill you. It wouldn't affect me at all, but I need you because of how close you are to Zekrom's host."

"What do you want with me?" he asks.

Fake Lucas grabs him by the head and says, "I want you to kill the host of Reshiram and Zekrom and bring them to me. Once I eat them you can have your body back."

"What?"

"See you soon!" Fake Lucas causes a snowstorm to escape in. Lucas pulls himself up to his feet, and sighs.

"This can't be happening... Who is that thing?" Lucas questions himself as he flexes his arm. "This is the worst..."

Evening...

Black comes out of the Victory Road cave with a big yawn. Parts of his clothes seem tattered and worn, but otherwise he's okay. Black heads for the Pokemon Center and places his team in for healing. 'I might have put Kinsaurus through a lot of training, but I hope she'll be okay. Still, they're ready to face the Elite Four, and if need be, N.'

As he awaits their healing, he heads for the sleeping quarters, where he finds Lucas sleeping silently. 'Lazy.'

Black's next stop leads him to the next room, where he finds Elesa with White. "Girls."

"Hey Black," White says, looking down at her leg. "The doctor says my leg will be fine. I should heal up in time tomorrow for your match against the Elite Four."

"Where's Lucas?" Elesa asks him.

"He's asleep," he says.

"I see..." she says, standing up from the bed to stand by him. "Black, I just want you to know that we're glad for your bravery."

"Where's this coming from?" he asks her.

"In the off chance that you do face N, I just want you to know that we're all here to support you. Remember to trust in yourself and your Pokemon, just like I do," she says, placing her arms around his neck and hugging him. Black blushes a bit before hugging her back.

"Get a room!" White jeers.

"This is our room. You're sleeping with Lucas," Elesa says to her.

"EH?" Without warning, Black and Elesa carry White to the other room, much to her displeasure. With her gone they undress in private rooms and sleep in the same bed. "Just because they're married doesn't mean they get to throw me out..."

The next morning starts as a rather normal day for them; Black and Elesa wake up, White storms into the room and kicks Black out, and Lucas laughs as he watches. Afterwards they eat, including the Pokemon, and head for the Pokemon League's building.

A man stands before them, who says, "The Pokemon League is a place where you both pursue strength and express it. How to express it is simple, just defeat the Elite Four and the champion!

"There are four rooms, each leading to a member of the Elite Four. You can challenge either one of them, but you can't stop to return to the Pokemon center at any time until it's over. If you lose a single challenge, then you have to start all over. Do you accept?"

"Yes," Black says.

"Then, proceed!" The man steps to the side, allowing the four passageway. In order, Black, White, Elesa and Lucas head in. Standing in the middle of the area is a statue, with four stairways beside it in an X position.

"So, which one?" Elesa asks.

"Each one has a trainer stronger than Drayden," White syas.

"This one," Black says as he heads for the south east stairway.

Entering this part he comes to what looks like a mechanical gym. In front of him stands a tower, where he believes to be the battlefield. "Up there, huh?"

"Let's try this?" White walks to a platform standing in front of them, and the others follow her. The platform takes them around the tower, until they reach the top.

When they reach the top they step out onto a fighting ring. There a man with yellow hair and a dojo outfit on stands before them. Lucas, Elesa and White step to the side, allowing Black the space to battle. "Greetings challenger, I am Marshal."

"I'm Hilbert, your challenger," Black says as he holds out a Pokeball.

Marshal grins, before saying, "In order to master the art of fighting, I'm training under my mentor, Alder. My mentor sees your potential as a Trainer and is taking an interest in you. It is my intention to test you-to take you to the limits of your strength. Kiai!"

"Uh, kiai?" Marshal sends out the Muscular Pokemon, Conkeldurr. "Conkeldurr, the Muscular Pokemon: Having the ability to create concrete, it constructs blocks to use to support its upper body. It knows techniques to freely use each block in fights."

"I was planning on sending out Mienshao, but she's still resting from that last challenger I took on," he says to him.

"Fine by me. Go, Kinsaurus!" Black sends out his Pokemon Fraxure, who stands before the Muscular Pokemon with a brave look in his eyes. "Let's show off the results of your training!"

Fraxure roars out to the sky, initiating a battle cry. But that's when it glows brightly, shocking the trainers. The dragon grows in size, and gains several familiar features. Soon the light stops, revealing the Axe Jaw Pokemon Haxorus. "Alright! I knew she was just about ready!"

"How much training did they go through to reach that level?" White asks in shock.

"Black is just full of surprises," Elesa says with a shrug and a chuckle.

"Now this is a battle! Conkeldurr, prepare for battle!" Conkeldurr gives out a low growl.

"Kinsaurus, let's show your new power to the Elite Four! Dragon Claw!" Kinsaurus charges at Conkeldurr, aiming her ax tusks at the old 'mon.

"Time to show your stuff! Dodge and use Stone Edge!" Conkeldurr tosses both of his blocks into the air and leaps over the dragon.

"Eh?" Black couldn't believe what he's seeing.

'Fast!' Lucas exclaims in his head.

"How is a Pokemon that looks so old jump so high?" White asks no one in particular.

Conkeldurr, while midair, conjures up concrete sharp edge stones to fire at the dragon's back, knocking Kinsaurus to the ground. "Kinsaurus!"

Conkeldurr lands behind the dragon, easily catching the concrete blocks and using them to hold himself up. Lucas says, "Be careful, Black! This Pokemon has been trained to use its slow body to its advantage!"

"Yeah, thanks for telling me that at the last minute!" he says sarcastically. 'Date has faced off against Timburr and his evolution before, but Kin isn't fast enough.'

"Conkeldurr, Arm Hammer!" Conkeldurr swings the left block at Kinsaurus and the other in the air, having the former spin along the ground like a disk.

"Kin, crush the block with your foot and use Dragon Pulse!" Kinsaurus stomps back onto her feet and jumps in the air, but Conkeldurr comes before Kin and pounds her to the ground. Luckily though Kin has bitten onto the fighting type's arm. "Now, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Arm Hammer!" Conkeldurr prepares to slam Kin with his other arm, but Kin blows him away before he could. Conkeldurr grabs hold of his concrete block still in midair and lands with it.

Kinsaurus stands up to her feet, and stomps hard on the other block to destroy it. "Rock Slide!"

"Grass Knot!" Grass rises up from the steel ground and wraps around Kin's legs. "Now, take it out with Stone Edge!"

Conkeldurr generates a second stone block out of thin air. It then creates a series of stones to fire at Kinsaurus. "Make a path with Dragon Pulse!"

Kin fires a sphere of dragonic energy forward, creating a path for it towards Conkeldurr. He blocks using one of his canes, which explodes into pieces. "Now's your chance! Rock Slide!"

Kinsaurus stomps hard on the ground, summoning rocks from another dimension to crash down onto the Pokemon. Conkeldurr falls to the ground, pinned down by the rocks. "What?"

"Dragon Pulse!" Kin fires a ball of energy at Conkeldurr, but the attack also destroys one of the boulders around him. This allows the Pokemon to break free.

Conkeldurr creates a new cane for him to walk with. 'So he can make those as many times as he wants... I have to get in close to destroy them both.'

"Dragon Pulse, and aim at Conkeldurr's left side!" Kin fires as her trainer directs.

"What's he up to? Block!" Conkeldurr blocks using his cane, which is destroyed. "Stone Edge!"

"Dragon Claw!" Kinsaurus charges at Conkeldurr before it could create more concrete, forcing it to grab the dragon's head with his free hand. 'He's strong indeed, but this works in my favor too!'

"Toss that dragon in the air and use Arm Hammer!"

"Dragon Tail!" Kinsaurus pulls back, forcing Conkeldurr forward and almost making him lose balance. Kin then turns and swinsg her tail, destroying the other cane and causing the fighting type to fall to the ground.

"Dragon Claw!" Kinsaurus slashes into the Pokemon with her left axe slash, taking it out for the battle. Conkeldurr falls to the ground, having fainted.

"Alright! We won!" Black cheers happily. Kinsaurus roars triumphantly.

"Not bad," Marshal says as he returns his fallen Pokemon. "There is no single strongest Pokémon or sole best combination... That's why it is difficult to keep winning. However, I think a heart that desires strength and strives to grow stronger is a precious ideal. That is why I respect you-because you have these things."

"Thanks man," he says to him.

"I'm your first challenge, right? Well then you can go to the other staircases and challenge them. They're all as tough as me though," Marshal tells him. He points to the side, where a teleporter rests.

Black retrieves Kinsaurus and heads into the teleporter, along with his friend and family. Upon leaving his place, they come to the plaza, where they see the other places. White then asks, "Which one do we go to next?"

"I guess next could be that one!" Black heads straight for the south west stairway. This leads him to a room with another tower, and immediately notices the haunted tower theme. "Huh. This is weird."

"Let's get this over with," Lucas mumbles as he pushes Black forward. Near the steps he's about to go up, when a blue flame appears before him and carries him up to the top. Elesa, Lucas and White are brought up in the same way.

Sitting at the top is a woman with dark purple hair, which matches her tight shirt and short skirt outfit, along with black stockings. With a book in hand she writes, "'Eyes brimming with dark flame, this man rejected everything other than himself in order to bring about one singular justice...'"

"What's that?" Black asks her. She raises herself from her book and stares at him.

With a smile she says, "That's part of a novel I'm writing. I was inspired by the challenger who was just here, and somehow I got a little sad... Excuse me. You're a challenger, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Hilbert. I'll be facing you," he says to her.

"I'm the Elite Four's Ghost Type Pokémon user, Shauntal, and I shall be your opponent." Shauntal takes out a Pokeball and sends it out, calling forth her Pokemon Chandelure. "The rules will be one Pokemon at a time."

"Don't worry, I know. Let's go, Raika!" Black sends out his electric type, surprising the others who expected him to use Date.

"Black, shouldn't you send out Date?" Elesa asks him.

"Can't rely on type specialties. Besides, I want Date to save his strength for the next one," he tells her. "Raika, Thunderbolt!"

White takes out her Pokedex and scans the Pokemon. "Chandelure, the Luring Pokemon: The swaying fire of one of these Pokemon can hypnotize a person, allowing it to absorb their soul. They then afterwards burn it up, leaving the body an empty husk."

"Chandelure, Shadow Ball!" Chandelure fires a ball of condensed darkness at Raika's thunderbolt, causing the attacks to cancel out. "Psychic!"

Chandelure's eyes glow brightly, surrounding Raika and lifting her off the ground. "Thunder Wave!"

Raika releases an electromagnetic wave at Chandelure, causing it to be paralyzed. "Wow. You know, they saw the first move is always the most important."

"Then you'll love the next; Wild Charge!" With Raika free from Psychic, she surrounds herself with electricity and bullrushes the chandelier Pokemon. Chandelure falls backwards, before spinning and relevitating. Raika lands and takes recoil damage.

"Chandelure, Fire Blast!" Chandelure summons flames around its body and fires it off at Raika.

"Fight fire with fire! Nitro Charge!" Raika surrounds herself with flames and takes on the Fire Blast. Her fire manages to push away Chandelure's, and only a slight burn on her left side. "Charge forward and use Thunderbolt!"

"Will o' Wisp!" Chandelure fires several balls of blue fire at Raika.

"Raika, dodge if you can!" Raika stops at the last second and jumps away to avoid the fireballs. She then fires at Chandelure, doing critical damage. "Wild Charge!"

"Fire Blast!" Raika charges forward at Chandelure, and takes the blast head on. Covered in explosion smoke, Raika continues, until she strikes the chandelier and knocks it out of the air.

Chandelure spins along the ground, until tilting to the side and fainting. "Chandelure!"

"We did it!" Black cheers, hugging the triumphant Raika.

"Wow. I'm dumbstruck! I know a lot of words, but I can't accurately describe this I want to say... Maybe if I express the feeling I have," Shauntal says as she retrieves her Pokemon and cups her chin. "...My feeling is that you're a great trainer."

"...Wow, thanks," Black says, feeling a little happy to be complimented.

"How many of the Elite Four have you faced before me?" she asks him.

"Just this other guy, Marshal," he tells her.

"Then you only have two more to face. Remember, no repeating Pokemon," she tells him with a wink.

After leaving her room they head for the plaza, where the statue stands. Black comments, "Only two more to go."

"Where do we go next?" Lucas asks him.

Black looks at the two stairs in the back, and eyes the one just north of Shauntal's room. "I'll go there."

The group heads for those sets of stairs, leading all the way up to what appears to be a library. Black steps on the red carpet, and like an escalator is pulled all the way to the top.

After he and everyone make it to the top, Black approaches the man standing there. He's a blue haired man wearing dark clothes with blue eyes. He says, "Man, oh man. What's up today? Two challengers in one week?"

"Must be N," Lucas says, stating what appears to be the obvious.

"Oh well, no matter," he says, taking out a Dusk Ball. "I, Grimsley of the Elite Four, am duty bound to face you in battle. Go, Bisharp!"

Grimsley sends out his first Pokemon, the Sharp Sword Pokemon Bisharp. Black takes out his Pokedex and scans it. "Bisharp, the Sharp Sword Pokemon: Bisharp will lead a group of Komatana in the wild and lead, occasionally giving the killing blow to prey, but it will be kicked out if it shows a moment of weakness."

"They get more gruesome with each day," Lucas mumbles to himself.

"I guess I know the perfect guy to face you..." Black takes out a Pokeball, and tosses it out to call forth Date.

"This out to be interesting. Bisharp, Metal Claw!" Bisharp's arms become sharpened, and it rushes forward at Date.

"Block using your Scalsword!" Date draws the left sword, and stabs it into the ground to block Bisharp's cross slash. "Fight back with Slash!"

Date draws his second blade and slashes horizontally at Bisharp, who blocks with his arms and slides along the ground. Bisharp charges in using Metal Claw, forcing Date to block and dodge. He jumps in the air to avoid his next assault, but that's when Bisharp leaps in the air at him. "Metal Claw!"

"Slash!" Bisharp and Date swing in the air, their attacks causing them to spin like grinding gears until landing and sliding apart. Bisharp dashes towards to make a sliding slash, but Date blocks using his forearm guard. He then slashes, crossing his blades with Bisharp's arms. "Don't give up! Megahorn!"

Date jabs Bisharp in the face with his horn, knocking him on his back. "Hydro Pump!"

Date fires his strongest attack at Bisharp, sending him a few feet away. But that's when he suddenly stops, and stands his ground. ""Metal Burst!"

Bisharp absorbs the Hydro Pump in a sphere covered in metal shards, before firing it off at Date. His attack covers the otter in a massive water explosion, one strong enough to knock away Black and the others. He manages to pick himself up, and help the others as well, before his mind goes to that last attack. "Metal Burst?"

"Metal Burst is an attack that absorbs the damage a Pokemon takes and shoots it back at the opponent," Lucas tells him.

The smoke clears, revealing Date being scraped up by that attack. "Date!"

"All trainers change their strategy whenever they take the Metal Burst, knowing hitting too hard would cause great harm to their Pokemon," Grimsley says to himself. "Let's see how he adapts. Bisharp, Aerial Ace!"

Bisharp's right foot is surrounded by a torrent of wind, which edges into an energy cross. He then runs towards Date. "Date, prepare to block using the Scalsword! When he's close use Razor Shell!"

Date holds his blades up in a cross formation. Bisharp leaps in the air and mounts a flying side kick to him. Date makes an X slash at Bisharp, whose leg pulls him over the otter. Date turns around to face Bisharp, his eyes following the flying Pokemon. Bisharp circles around the otter until coming up behind him with his kick.

Date raises his left sword to block, struggling to push away the steel type. Bisharp grabs hold of the ground and pulls to the ground, forcing Date to slash his sword and lose balance. With the same foot, he kicks Date into the air. "Night Slash!"

Darkness sharpens the edges of Bisharp's blades. With this he charges at the otter and leaps, slashing and passing by him. While still in midair he uses Aerial Ace to propel himself at Date again, allowing him to use Night Slash again. This continues until a total of five hits strike the otter, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Finish him off with Metal Claw!" Bisharp dives at Date for the finishing blow.

"Now!" Date rises up from the ground and blocks with his swords, before falling back down and sliding along the ground thanks to his back armor so Bisharp's hands get stuck. "Megahorn!"

Date picks himself up onto all fours and charges at Bisharp, jabbing Bisharp in the chest and sending him crashing along the ground. Bisharp manages to pick himself up, but falls backwards before fainting. "Bisharp!"

"We did it!" Black cheers proudly as he and Date slap hands. "You were awesome in this battle!"

"How did Date survive that Night Slash?" Lucas asks the black protagonist.

"Simple; he blocked those attacks using his forearm guards," he says, pointing to Date's arms. The plated guards are shown to have been scratched by Night Slash.

Grimsley retrieves his Pokemon, and approaches Black and his Pokemon. "Whether or not you get to fight at full strength, whether or not luck smiles on you-none of that matters. Only results matter. And a loss is a loss. You see, victory shines like a bright light, and right now you and your Pokémon are shining brilliantly."

"That's rather deep," Elesa says as she stares at Grimsley. "But I guess it's words of wisdom expected from an Elite Four member."

"Nah, right now I'm simply the guy who lost to the challenger," he says as he looks to Black.

"Don't be such a downer!" White says to him.

Ignoring her, Grimsley says, "Now take your strength and face the rest of the Elite Four."

"I'll do that," he says, heading for the teleporter with his friends.

With that challenge finished, Black turns his eyes to the last room. Lucas comments, "I wonder who's in there?"

"Maybe it's a cool guy who uses Rock types!" White says as she crosses her arms over her chest.

They head to the last set of stairs, and come before a spacial room with what looks to be glass stairs. Black says, "Okay..."

"How do we get across this?" White asks, already feeling that this person doesn't use rock types.

Stepping on the glass floor, a bright light surrounds Black and carries the man up to the top by the three pillars. There he sees a young girl resting in a bed. The girl raises her head and gasps, before falling out of bed. She franctically grabs something from her bed and hides it underneath, blushing red.

"Was that porn?" Black asks her.

She glares at him and shouts, "D-Don't be ridiculous! Like I'd ever read something like that!"

"It was, wasn't it?" As he says this, White and the others are brought to the battlefield. "Whatever, what you do in your free time is your thing, let's just battle!"

"What was she doing?" Elesa asks her.

"Dang. It's a girl," White complains.

'Isn't that... Caitlin?' Lucas eyes the woman curiously, recognizing her better than everyone else.

"How impudent you are to disturb my sleep," she says to Black. "And it was such a good one too."

"I bet," he mumbles. "Look, I'm here to challenge you, and I'm sorry for disturbing you. My name is Hilbert."

"Hmph... You appear to possess a combination of strength and kindness," Caitlin says as a Pokeball levitates before her. "Very well. Make your best effort not to bore me with a yawn-inducing battle. Clear?"

"How are you doing that?" he asks her.

"She has psychic powers," Lucas says to his apprentice. Everyone turns to him in surprise, except Caitlin. "What, I guessed!"

"Correct, I do possess powers. I can also see that you two do as well," she says, her eyes pointing to Black and Lucas. "Go!"

She sends out her partner, the Astral Body Pokemon Gothitelle. White takes out her scanner and scans the Pokemon. "Gothitelle, the Astral Body Pokemon: It possesses powerful psychic powers allowing it to see the future, including a trainer's lifespan. It's powers can also distort space and make stars light years away to be visible."

"Wow, that strong...No ifs, ands or buts about it!" Black sends out his own Psychic Type, Zeros.

"Why didn't he choose Sir C? A dark type can resist psychic moves!" Elesa asks Lucas.

"Don't ask me. I can't read his mind," he says to her.

"Don't worry, Black and Zeros can handle this," White tells Elesa, a smile present on her face.

"Gothitelle, Psychic!" Gothitelle releases her psychic power upon Zeros.

"Combat with Psychic too!" Zeros fights back, evening the psychic struggle between them. "V-Create!"

"Calm Mind." Gothitelle gathers her psychic powers to herself, increasing her abilities. Zeros strikes the Astral Body Pokemon, but it barely moves from the strike. Flames surround Gothitelle, leaving the burn mark on her status. "I see, that's the legendary Pokemon Victini. You must really be something for you to catch it."

"I didn't catch Victini. I asked him and he wanted to come with me, and it's made our friendship even stronger," he says to her as he and Zeros make a V.

"Let's see how strong it is. Gothitelle, Calm Mind!" Gothitelle increases her stats once more. The burn status takes effect.

'Calm Mind increases special attack and defense... Maybe I can use that!' "Zeros, Psychic!" Zeros concentrates psychic energy into a ball of lite blue energy and fires at Gothitelle.

"Calm Mind one more time!" Gothitelle takes the hit, but receives little damage. "Your special attacks won't harm Gothitelle anymore. Zeros has no way of harming her."

"Psych Up." Zeros releases an energy wave that surrounds his body. His eyes release a flash of lite blue energy.

"Ah, clever." Caitlin states with a smile.

"What happened?" White asks.

"Zeros used Psych Up and increased his stats equal to Gothitelle," Elesa says, hoping to explain it to her.

'That's what it does?' Lucas thinks in shock.

"Stored Power!" Zeros releases a powerful ray of light from his ears towards Gothitelle, giving great damage to the Pokemon. "Stored Power increases in power when Zeros' stats are raised, and Calm Mind raised his special power, so it's even stronger than it ever could have been!"

"What an interesting boy. Shadow Ball!" Gothitelle fires a ball of darkness at Zeros.

"V-Create!" Zeros takes the hit, and falls to the ground. But he manages to land on his feet and charges at Gothitelle with all his might. This creates an explosion that captures Gothitelle in flames. The psychic type falls backwards after flailing about in pain. She then falls, collapsing to the ground.

"Gothitelle!" Caitlin exclaims in shock. 'He managed to break through Gothitelle's high special defense... That burn really helped him out...'

"We did it!" Black cheers as he hugs his Pokemon Zeros.

Caitlin retrieves her Pokemon and smiles. "As a Trainer, I can see you are both excellent and elegant. Your Pokémon have class, and it actually pleases me to have battled you."

"That was really smart using Psych Up and Stored Power," Elesa says to him.

"Yeah, thanks," he says before he calls back Zeros. "Alright, that's all 4. What's next?"

"Since you've defeated all four members of the Elite Four, I suggest you head for the plaza. The statue in the center will take you to your destination, Alder," she says to him.

With her words in mind, Black and the others head for the teleporter and appear in the plaza. The guard from earlier tells them, "If you wish to face the champion, step on the platform attached to the statue."

"Really?" Black heads for the statue, and as if on cue it descends like an elevator.

"Hey, wait up!" Elesa says to him as she and the others join him in time. They continue to descend until reaching the bottom floor, right before a set of stairs.

Black looks up at the top of the stairs, where a temple can be seen, and that's when he feels something churning inside of him. 'This feeling... Is it Reshiram?'

"Let's go!" Black runs up the stairs as fast as he could.

"Black, wait up!" Lucas shouts at him.

"You still haven't healed your Pokemon!" White reminds him.

The trio chase after Black up the stairs.

Ten Minutes Later...

Black collapses as he reaches the top of the stairs, tired from all that running. The others can be seen sprawling along the steps, having run out of gas running up the stairs too. "Who...put all these stairs here..."

He manages to stumble inside the temple, and gives a loud annoyed grunt when he sees more stairs to climb. After crawling up them he comes face to face before Alder, who is kneeling before N.

"IT'S OVER!" N shouts proudly, a la Tear-away-face Clown. "Never again will Pokemon be made to suffer or be held captive by humans!"

"This...can't be..." Alder says in a low voice, his face compiled with sweat.

* * *

Count za Mons! Currently, what Pokemon do Black and White carry on them now?

Hilbert's Team: Date/Samurott, OOO/Victini, Sir Crocodile/Krookodile, Archer/Archeops, Raika/Zebstrika, Kinsaurus/Fraxure

Hilda's Team: Emolga, Gerdus/Golurk, Scolipede, Druddigon, Scrafty

Julia: The final battle with N begins next chapter. Lucas also makes his own stand, against the true leader of Team Plasma, and makes a decision when he meets Cheryl.


	12. Chapter 12

**Journal Entry 12: The King of Plasma  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

Outside of the Pokemon League, Ho-Oh the phoenix spirals over it gracefully. She then lands on top of the tower, reverting to her human form. Holding a belt in her hands, she says, "I hope I'm not too late."

Inside The Pokemon League...

Black, after regaining his breath, manages to pull himself to his feet, only to collapse to his knees later. N says to Alder, "You may be the champion, but that's nothing but a title. You can't beat me with just that. Your heart has left you weak, ever since you lost your precious partner to sickness.

"Who knows how long it's been since you've fought at full strength," he says to him. N shakes his head disappointed, saying, "I actually liked that about you."

N walks towards the champion and bows to his level. "As the new champion, I shall issue an order; all trainers will release their Pokemon!"

"Wait, don't do that! That'll bring nothing but despair!" Alder tells him.

N shakes his head once more and stands up straight. "You and I both put our beliefs on the line and fought with all our strength... As you know, the one with the strongest convictions wins a battle!"

"N!" Black shouts, finally gaining their attention. He pulls himself to his feet and continues breathing slowly.

"I've been waiting." N walks over to Black and clenches his fist before him. "In the future I envisioned, you obtained a stone. And indeed you have... The dark stone is resonating with Reshiram."

"Hold on, N," Reshiram says, coming towards the three from above in her human form. "This isn't a good place for us to battle. It's too small."

"Too small, huh?" N looks around and sees that a battle between legendary dragons needs more room. "I agree. Rise up from the ground, Castle Doran!"

As he says these words, nothing actually happens. "Oh wait, wrong one."

Everyone else except Reshiram falls to the ground. N then says, "Rise up, castle of Team Plasma!"

Outside of the Pokemon League, the ground shakes horribly. Soon a series of buildings rise up, surrounding it from all possible sides. Ladders shoot out from the castles and stab into the Pokemon League, including the spot where the trainers are.

"What the hell is that?" Black asks him.

"That's Team Plasma's castle," he tells him. "The king's words will resound from the heights to all below. Our final battle will be decided there; Pokemon being liberated from humans, or humans and Pokemon continue living together... It all depends on our battle. The one with the strongest conviction will win!"

"W-Wait!" Reshiram throws her hand out towards Black, releasing a powerful heat wave to send him away.

Black crosses his arms over his chest to block himself, and roars in a rather beastly way. His body releases an electromagnetic wave that repels the heat, and an afterimage of a black dragon appears behind him. "N, stop! You don't have to do this!"

"So it is inside of you... Regardless, it still hasn't awakened," N says, before turning to the ladder-esque bridge leading to his castle. "I'll wait for you inside. Use the time it'll take to reach me to heal your Pokemon. I want this to be a fair battle."

"N!" N and Reshiram walk up the bridge and enter their castle. Gritting his teeth, he charges forward into the castle.

As he does the others manage to make it up to the top, where Lucas calls out, "Black! Where did he go?"

"Alder!" Elesa notes the fallen champion and helps him up. "What happened?"

"I lost, to N and his Pokemon," he tells her, shocking the others.

"So it's going to happen," Elesa says.

At that moment Cheren comes running up the stairs, just as tired as the others. "Alder-san!"

"So we're all here," Alder says as he notices the group. "You did well getting to me."

"Yeah. I managed to defeat the Pokemon League just after Black, but it wasn't easy," he says to him. "I became stronger because I understood what I want to do."

"When did he get here?" Lucas asks the others. The girls shrug. "Where's that dark idiot?"

Alder points to the bridge. "Black went after N into Team Plasma's castle. He seems determined to end this."

"Hilbert..." Elesa whispers.

"...You guys stay here. I'm going after him," Lucas says as he heads for the bridge.

"Not alone you're not!" White says to him.

"I can move faster alone!" Lucas runs up the bridge towards the castle. "Besides, you guys can get help."

"Help?" White turns to Elesa, wondering what he meant.

"Lucas! Some people grow stronger by being with Pokemon!" Cheren shouts to him. "Tell that to N!"

'I lost... I tried to show him the convictions between my Pokemon and me, and yet he won...' Alder thinks about his battle with N. 'So it turns out his convictions were the real thing... Black needs to be careful. A man who can change the world is always someone who has the courage to pursue their dreams. Even if Pokemon and humans are separated, no good would come of it...'

Inside Team Plasma's Castle...

Black casually enters the risen castle of Team Plasma, looking around to see just how huge it really it. 'Now, where do I go?'

"Black! Hold up!" a voice calls out. Black turns around to see his friend Lucas coming up to him.

"Lucas?"

"Did you really think you could just go after this N alone without your mentor?" Lucas grins sheepishly as he approaches his friend. "Just because you've defeated the Elite Four doesn't mean you're the strongest trainer in the world. There are still millions of trainers you haven't faced, and all of them can get stronger."

"I'll keep that in mind," Black says with a grin. "Okay, let's go!"

"Not so fast!" Another voice echoes throughout the halls. From the left and right six of the Seven Sages walk towards Black and Lucas. "Those in accord with fate are preserved, and those who rebel against fate perish."

"When the way is forgotten, duty and justice appear."

"One can lose the forest for the trees."

"If you make a mistake and don't correct it, that is a second mistake."

"Superior men understand what is right. Inferior men understand what will sell."

"There cannot be two suns in the sky, nor two kings to rule people."

These are the lines the six sages speak to the teens before surrounding them, backing them up to the exit. "If anything should happen to our king that would be disastrous. It would ruin Ghetsis' perfect plan! Oh well, the six of us shall defeat you here!"

They each take out Pokeballs and prepare to battle Black and Lucas. The black protagonist's eyes glow blood red before he says, "**Go ahead, try what you like. You guys will see why I'm not even scared**."

"Black, hold on!" Lucas grabs hold of his friend's shoulders. "Don't try to use Zekrom's power without knowing how to use it! You might lose control!"

"I don't think so!" From behind the teens a man charge into the castle.

"Still standin', are ya Black?" Clay speaks as he stands in front of him.

"It's Driftveil's gym leader!" One of the sages speaks.

"It ain't just him either!" One by one, the other gym leaders enter the castle standing before Black; Iris, Skyla, Burgh, Lenora, Clay, Elesa, Brycen and Drayden. Everyone except the Striaton leaders.

Lenora walks past Lucas towards the sages, saying, "Sorry about this. But I'm afraid you can't defeat all of us."

"Ignoring Team Plasma would be a horrible thing to do," Elesa says, before turning to Black with a smile. "Surprised?"

"Why are you guys here?" he asks them.

"Yeah, when I asked for backup I didn't think it'd be so quick!" Lucas adds.

"Your friend Bianca asked us to come," Burgh tells him.

"More importantly, we can handle these guys! Go stop N!" Skyla states to him, giving a wink and a nod to go with it.

"No need to worry about us!" Iris adds.

"It's all up to you; no need for the carrier of the Dark Stone to waste time against small fry!" Drayden states.

"Black, let's go!" White says as she enters the castle.

"Elesa, everyone, good luck!" Black heads off to the left corridor with his sister and friend, leaving the gym leaders to play.

'Good luck, Hilbert...' Elesa thinks to him as she watches her husband leave.

Back with our protagonists, they rush through the halls until reaching a set of stairs, going straight up them to the next level. There, Black takes a few steps forward, only to stop dead in his tracks. White asks, "What's wrong?"

"I feel this strange presence..." he says, looking around the hall. He then shouts, "Get out here!"

As if answering him, one member of the Shadow Triad appears before the trio. "In this castle you may rest your Pokemon and access your pc in case you wish to switch out. The room to do so is there."

He then points to the room nearest them. "It is our king's wishes that you be moved to the innermost part of the castle."

The ninja then disappears, leaving them alone. Black walks into the room by himself. There he sees a simple dining room where two beautiful women stood. The one on the left has pink hair, and the other has yellow hair.

"You guys are..." Suddenly the Pokeball containing Zeros pops open, and out flies the Victory Pokemon.

"You have arrived, holder of the Dark Stone," the pink haired woman speaks.

"I am Concordia, the goddess of peace and comfort for N," the yellow haired woman says. "It's nice to meet you. I was relieved to find N has made a human friend."

"Friend?" Black points to himself in question.

"N has been separated from humans since he was a child. He was brought up to bond with Pokemon that were betrayed, mistreated and hurt by bad people, and only those Pokemon that Ghetsis brought to him," Concordia says to him. Zeros lands on his head as she speaks. "N was touched by their plight, and started to pursue the truth, thinking only of Pokemon. His heart truly is pure and innocent... It's amazing how beautiful and terrifying innocence can be."

Zeros nods in response. The pink haired woman says, "I am Anthea, the goddess of love. Before you confront our lord N, please take a moment to rest yourself."

Suddenly his Pokeballs levitate off of his belt and into her hands, and Zeros enters his own. A red aura overshadows his Pokeballs, which mysteriously heals their injuries. After a while she hands him the Pokeballs, placing them in his hands. "And now for you."

Anthea leans forward and kisses Black on the cheek. After pulling away Black's body is overcome with a pink aura, that clears away all of his injuries and fatigue, mostly fatigue. "There. Both you and your Pokemon have regained energy. Just remember that trainers battle to practice their skills and grow in experience, never to hurt Pokemon. My lord N has realized this too, deep down in his heart...but-"

"-his time here with those Pokemon won't let him admit it," Black says, finishing her words.

"Exactly. Show him the truth within your ideals," she says to him, giving him another kiss on the lips this time. Blushing, he finds himself backing away while in a trance, before turning around to exit the room.

White approaches him and asks, "Well, how was it?"

"...I can't say really," he says, turning to the stairs. He looks around and says, "Did Lucas go somewhere?"

"Yeah, he's in that room. He'll be out in a second," she tells him.

As if on cue Lucas comes out of the room with a female grunt by his side. "Hey guys."

"Lucas, there's a grunt beside you!" Black says to him.

"Don't worry, she's with us," he tells him. "Tell him what you told me."

"Team Plasma has been secretly using Pokemon, just like he suspected," she says. "We've also been secretly building this castle for several years by overworking the Pokemon that we took away. It's amazing no one noticed. We've even created a machine to steal Pokemon from every trainers' pc and release them if our lord N wills it."

"So these guys are nothing but trouble after all," Hilbert whispers to himself. Out loud he asks, "Why are you telling us this though?"

"I was sworn to keep this a secret from you and any intruders, along with the rest of us, by Team Plasma's leader-no." She suddenly stops in the middle of her sentence. "By Ghetsis of the Seven Sages."

Black then decides to ask, "Why would he tell you that? He's not the leader of Team Plasma, right?"

The grunt takes off her hat and says, "It's all a lie. I heard from Ryoku that Ghetsis is just using N, letting him be the front leader of Team Plasma, so if any trouble came his way he could blame it on him. Plus, with N believing he was in control, he could pursue his goal believing he was being supported."

"Ghetsis, that bastard." Black grits his teeth angrily. "Why would Ghetsis care to have N do this? Why put so much trouble into him?"

"Why are you telling us this?" White asks her.

"...Because I'm a failure as a Team Plasma member," she tells them. "After taking some Pokemon from other trainers, some grunts were entrusted with them. I was one of them, and by Ghetsis' order I was to view them as nothing but tools... But I've been spending time with them, and... I don't think I want to let them go... I love being with Pokemon."

The twins look at eachother before turning to the girl. White says, "It's okay. It doesn't matter if you're a failure as a member of Team Plasma, because you're a good person."

"Yeah. Let's go," Black says before attaching his Pokeballs to his waist and heading for the stairs. Lucas and White follow after him to the next level, leaving the grunt to ponder what they said. Looking at the Plasma symbol on her outfit, she tears it off with a scowl.

At the other floor, Black and his friends manage to reach the other set of stairs which would lead to the top floor, only to be stopped by another member of the Shadow Triad. "A battle between you and our lord N will reveal whether he is a true hero. It will also show how you feel about protecting the current world, one where Pokemon live with humans."

He then disappears, leaving the trio to head up the stairs. There they spot the third member. Lucas then shouts, "Stop getting in our way!"

"That room was provided to our Lord N. I don't feel anything, even when I'm inside, but someone like you, who seems to understand N more than anyone else, might." He disappears too, leaving a confused Hilbert to ponder what he meant.

"Feel something?" Hilbert walks towards the room he spoke of, and inside he sees what looks to be a children's playroom. He looks down to see a train set, with the train still moving. 'Has it been played with recently?' he asks in his head as he touches the train passing by.

"What is this?" Hilda asks as she enters the room too, seeing the toys and stuff all around her.

Black turns to a basketball left by a half pipe, and picks it up. 'Harmonia...'

"Black?" White walks over to her brother, whose attention has been captured by the skateboard half pipe. His hands reach out and touch it, running it through the scratches placed upon it.

"These were made by a Pokemon." He brings his hand back and looks down at it, before something wet hits it. White moves closer to see his face, and gasps when she sees that he's crying.

"Hilbert..." she says in a low voice. Hilbert places his hand to his face, in hopes to stop the tears from flowing.

"N has really led a sheltered life..." he speaks, surprising his sister. "When he was a child Ghetsis brought Pokemon to him, Pokemon hurt and mistreated by humans... At first I didn't think much about it when I was told that, but seeing this..."

"Hilbert, it's okay." He turns to his sister to yell at her, but couldn't when he sees that she's crying too. "I understand your feelings. I know just as well as you that N isn't a horrible person. It actually makes me cry to know we have to do this."

Black places the basketball to the ground and heads out of the room with her. There Lucas can be seen waiting for them. "Hey, you're back. How was-Why are you guys crying?"

"It's nothing," Black says, rubbing his eyes free of moisture.

"I don't think I can stop crying," White says as she tries to dry her eyes.

"Well, I've thought about it... I think I know what they were planning, Ghetsis," Lucas says as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Team Galactic and Team Rocket drew too much attention to themselves by stealing Pokemon and committing crimes. But Ghetsis did things differently, by manipulating people's hearts into thinking giving up their Pokemon is a good thing... Ghetsis, what does getting Pokemon to separate from humans do to benefit him?"

"He's really the worse," White says as she heads for the stairs. "Come on, Black! We've gotta stop N! We can't let Ghetsis do this anymore!"

Nodding, Black follows after his sister up the stairs to the top floor. Lucas follows after them, his vision messing up once more. 'No, no time for that. I have to be here for these guys.'

Upon reaching the top floor, they come before a room larger than anyone they've ever been to. Black takes in a deep breath, knowing this is where N is waiting. He walks forward, only to be pushed to the ground by Ghetsis. "Oh, it's you, the carrier of Zekrom."

"Ghetsis!" Black curses as he stands back up.

"The castle standing around the Pokemon Leauge is a symbol. It shows that Unova, and the world, will change," he says as he chuckles evilly. "Why must you stand in his way? The king of this castle is the strongest Trainer in the world; he is accompanied by the legendary Pokémon, he has defeated the Champion, not to mention his heart burns with the desire to improve the world. If that's not what makes a hero, what more do you need?"

"Don't try to trick me Ghetsis. There's no point in me listening to you anymore," Black says to the green haired man. "Not when all you do is lie."

Ghetsis laughs. "Now that the stage is set, we can seize people's minds and hearts. We can bring into being the world that I, I mean that Team Plasma, desires more easily than you can imagine!

"I've kept my tongue silent all these years so no one can piece together my true plan, and now is the time to put it in motion! Go ahead and stop N if you can! Even if you tell him what you know, you won't be able to change his mind when you lose." Ghetsis steps to the side, allowing Black to walk forward.

"Watch me." Black walks inside of the room, only to step out into a huge hall. On the sides rest two seas, and just up ahead past the blue and gold carpet is N sitting on his throne. "N!"

"What I desire is a world for Pokemon, and Pokemon alone! I will separate humans and Pokemon from eachother, so Pokemon can regain their original power." N rises from his throne and steps forward. "It's time I settled things with you once and for all. I will prove the value of my beliefs even if it means my friends get hurt! You wouldn't have come this far if you weren't equally determined, right?"

"Wait, N! You don't under-"

"It's okay, Hilda," Black says, placing his arm in front of her. "I have to face him in battle, Zekrom or not."

"But we don't have to fight!" she shouts.

"If we could solve this with words he wouldn't have gone through the trouble of seeking out Reshiram." Black walks towards N, meeting with him on the center stage of the hall.

"Still we've come all this way, and Zekrom hasn't responded to you, has it?" N asks him. "Which means he still doesn't recognize you as a hero, does he?"

"I guess not." Black takes in a deep breath before exhaling.

"Too bad. I actually kind of liked you a little, you and your sister," N says as he turns to the left. "I felt through our battles that you would be the trainer who truly cared for Pokemon, but I was deluding myself! There's no way a human who grew up the way you did could care about Pokemon!

"You now have two options! Duel a battle you can't win or leave and allow me my victory!" N then throws his hand back, all the way to his throne.

The walls behind his throne explode, and out floats Reshiram in her human form. Her appearance shocks White and Lucas, most especially Lucas. "C-Cheryl?"

"Cheryl?" Black turns to Lucas the moment he said that. His eyes then go back to Reshiram as he asks, "What do you mean Cheryl? That's your girlfriend?"

"That's Cheryl?" White asks in surprise.

"Huh? Cheryl? How do you know my sister's name?" N asks them.

"Sister?" Black, White and Lucas speak in unison.

"Henshin." Reshiram surrounds herself in white flames, which transforms the Pokemon into her dragon form. Reshiram then roars, releasing flames from her turbine tail. The heat coming frmo the blue eyed white dragon causes the water to evaporate.

Black suddenly grabs hold of his stomach, crying out painfully. White shouts, "Black!"

"**I've been waiting for this moment**!" Black speaks as his eyes glow red. "**The time to end this battle has come, Reshiram**!"

'I agree, Zekrom. Come out!' The black stone phases through the black protagonist's stomach, leaving him to fall on his knees coughing painfully. The stone floats in midair, and aura begins to float to it from the surrounding area.

"The dragon has finally accepted you," N says as he watches the stone react.

"Henshin!" The stone begins to spin while midair, until energy releases from its form into the shape of a black sphere. The stone then converts itself, transforming from a rock into a dragon. This dragonic beast has a horn on his head that resembles a lightning bolt, with a blue light emitting from the top, wings on his back, guards on his arms, and a more muscular form than the white dragon before him. The black dragon also has a turbine engine for a tail and red eyes.

"It's here!" White shouts as she backs away from the Pokemon in fright.

Zekrom growls to the heavens, his tail roaring and allowing him to release electricity all around. The dragon turns around to face Black, roaring in his face.

"Zekrom and Reshiram... They were once one life. One Pokémon. Complete opposites, yet the same. Zekrom and Reshiram are Pokémon that appear before the hero they recognize. Ah… I see. you really are a hero, too. I'll tell you what that Pokémon is saying to you. It's saying-"

"You want to fight with me, right?" Black asks Zekrom, interrupting N. "You may be outside of my body, but your thoughts are still within me. You want to fight with me to show N the power of truth and ideals together."

'**That's right. There's a reason why I picked you. It's because your heart holds a balance of truth and ideals that I decided to pick you, for I realized one is pointless without the other.**' Zekrom's thoughts resonate throughout Black's head.

"Right. That's exactly what I thought," he says, turning his attention to N. "To make this far I'll return a Pokemon to my pc...Sorry, Archer."

Black holds up Archer's Pokeball, and with Zekrom's lightning teleports it to his pc. N's eyes have widened in shock, from something he said. 'You want to fight with me to show N the power of truth and ideals together.'

"Now, I will create the future I desire! I shall sweep you before me!" N says as he hopes aboard Reshiram. "Reshiram, take flight!"

Reshiram howls into the air, when Cheryl's body expels from her body. Lucas shouts, "Cheryl!"

He rushes over to her unconscious body, while N takes to the skies onboard Reshiram. Black climbs into Zekrom's body, and flies up to face N. Lucas bends down and lifts Cheryl in his arms. "Cheryl! Cheryl, answer me! Please be okay!"

Cheryl's eyes open up, and the first thing she sees is Lucas. She pushes him away and crawls back from him. "Y-You again? What are you doing following me?"

"Cross Fire!" Reshiram releases a white red flame at Zekrom.

"Cross Thunder!" Zekrom surrounds himself in lightning and charges at the attack, his lightning fusing with the flames. He then flies at Reshiram, making a hard tackle.

Reshiram regains her balance and glares at the black dragon. "A power maniac like always."

"And you rely on tricks too much," Zekrom replies before charging the white dragon. The impact forces Black and N from the two Pokemon, spiraling down to the ground.

"Hilbert! N!" Before they could hit the ground, a sea of flames captures them safely and lands them to the floor without harm.

The flames die away, which has left all of them speechless. Cheryl looks to her brother and asks, "What's going on?"

"Cheryl, just stay back. This will all be over soon," he says to her before he stands back up.

Black does so as well and looks to the skies where the dragons clash. The fight goes on for a while, with Zekrom charging Reshiram and taking a long distance move to the back. 'Zekrom, use Dragonbreath!'

'What? No way! He won't feel a thing!' Zekrom thinks back to the teen.

'Just do it! Reshiram will simply avoid your attack and counter! When she's drawn in strike back with your strongest attack!' Thinking over Black's thoughts Zekrom begins to realize he may be on to something.

Zekrom uses Dragonbreath at Reshiram, who was too surprised by it to dodge in time. 'A special move? Hmph, what's he planning?'

Reshiram uses Cross Fire at Zekrom, who moves out of the way to dodge. He then fires Dragonbreath once again, but this time the white dragon is able to avoid it. Reshiram flies towards Zekrom, slashing him with Slash. "You're not the only one who can use physical moves!"

"Yeah, I know that perfectly." Zekrom's head releases a powerful psychic aura that captures Reshiram in place. He then charges and strikes using Zen Headbutt.

"Lightning Strike!" Zekrom's tail charges himself completely with lightning, to the power where he's nothing but a golden dragon of light.

"Blue Fire!" Reshiram's tail charges himself in blue flames, and the dragon breathes a stream of it from her mouth towards Zekrom.

The two collide, Zekrom pushing through to reach Reshiram, and a huge explosion results. This causes both of them to crash down to the castle. Reshiram rises up in her human form, her body sparking with electricity while Zekrom does the same in his human form, his body blazing.

"This...isn't...over..." Zekrom mumbles through tired sighs.

"It's a tie, for you two," Black says as he pats the black dragon on the back.

"What?" Zekrom and Reshiram bark angrily at the teen.

"It's true. I should have suspected that the two dragons of equal legends wouldn't be capable of being stronger than the other," says N, backing up Black.

"In the end, this battle can only be proven by the power of the trainer." Black takes out a Pokeball and aims it at N. "I hope you didn't think to rely only on Reshiram's strength, have you?"

N takes his stand and glares at Black, saying, "Of course not! I'll simply take you down myself! My dream of a world where Pokemon aren't enslaved by humans will be brought to life!"

N takes out a Pokeball and sends out his first Pokemon, Vanilluxe. Black takes out his Pokedex and scans it. "Vanniluxe, the Snowstorm Pokemon: If both heads get angry simultaneously they can swallow a large amount of water to create snow clouds inside of their bodies, which they use to bury everything around them in snow."

With that over Black takes in a deep breath with exhale and chooses his first Pokemon, the Thunder and Lightning Pokemon Raika. "Nitro Charge!"

"Blizzard!" Vanilluxe releases an extremely cold blast of air at Raika, who protects herself with the flames surrounding her body. "Flash Cannon!"

The two headed ice cream Pokemon fires a powerful light beam from its straw cannon. "Raika, run away and use Thunderbolt!"

Raika runs off to avoid the attack, but gets hit in the side. "Raika!"

"There, that's how it is," says N, crossing his arms over his chest.

Raika picks herself up and releases Thunderbolt at Vanniluxe. The icecream Pokemon cries out once shocked, falling down to the ground. "What?"

"Wow..." Black comments in shock. "I didn't expect that."

"Vanniluxe, Blizzard!" Vanniluxe prepares a powerful snowstorm to surround Raika.

"Raika, Wild Charge!" Raika summons electricity around her body and charges at Vanniluxe, striking quickly enough to stop the ice Pokemon from firing Blizzard.

"Frost Breath!" Vanniluxe releases frozen breath at Raika, taking advantage of her momentary pause from the recoil damage.

"Return, Raika," Black says, retrieving his Pokemon.

"Now you will use Victini, right?" N asks him, giving this smug grin like he knows his every strategy.

"Not even close. It's time I take some risks!" Black sends out Kinsaurus, surprising N and everyone else.

"What the hell are you thinking, Hilbert? Dragons are weak to ice!" Hilda shouts at her brother.

'He's not an idiot; he surely must know that using dragons would be putting him at a disadvantage, so why?' "Blizzard!" Vanilluxe releases a storm all around, covering the area in ice. Reshiram and Zekrom cover their bodies with their arms, shivering in the cold.

"Cheryl, you got to remember me!" Lucas says to his girlfriend.

"But I don't!" she replies, stepping back away from him.

"Your first Pokemon was Happiny! You have an older sister named Gardenia, and you hate ghosts! You can also talk to Pokemon and hid it from everyone as a secret because you were afraid of being different." Cheryl's eyes widen in shock listening to him.

"Y-You...How do you know I can talk to Pokemon?" Lucas places his hands on her shoulder. A familiar warmth rushes through her heart, and a faint blue aura covers her body. In her mind certain parts of her mind are clouded with foggy snow, only slowly clearing up to have vague images of a boy she met back in Eterna Forest. "You..."

Lucas' eyes lower as he looks at her. "Cheryl, maybe you can't remember me. It would be against everything I gave up for in accepting this deal from Arceus, but I don't think I can let go of you. You're one of the people I love the most, and you're my best friend..."

Black and White flinch in shock. In unison they think, 'I thought _I_ was!'

"You..." Cheryl whispers, looking deep into the eyes of the dark haired champion.

"It's not working, is it?" White mumbles.

"Dragon Pulse!" Kinsaurus fires at the ground, creating an explosion to blow away the snowy mist and expose Vanilluxe. "Dragon Claw!"

Kinsaurus charges at Vanilluxe, slashing its sides with the left axe jaw and causing it to faint. "Vanilluxe!"

"That's one," Black says as N retrieves his Pokemon.

"You won't stop us with that amount of power!" N sends outs his next Pokemon, Carracoasta.

"Carracoasta, the Prototurtle Pokemon: They can live in both the ocean and land. Their flippers are strong enough to open a hole in a tanker, and their jaws can bite through steel beams."

"Stone Edge!" Carracoasta fires a storm of sharp stones at the dragon.

"Pile through and use Dragon Claw!" Kinsaurus rushes through the hail of sharp stones to reach the giant tortoise.

"Aqua Jet!" Water surrounds the amphibian and rockets it towards the dinosaur, striking the left axe jaw and chipping it. Kinsaurus crashes to the ground.

"Kinsaurus!"

"Stone Edge!"

"Rock Slide!" Their attacks continue to pummel the other. Thanks to the turtle's defensive shell it protects itself. On the other hand, Kinsaurus has no such protection, and suffers the most from the rock moves. 'I can't just use brute force.'

"Aqua Jet!" Carracoasta flings itself towards the dinosaur.

"Dragon Pulse!" Kinsaurus fires at the turtle, but that doesn't stop it from continuing and crashing into the dinosaur.

"Crunch."

"Dragon Claw!" Kinsaurus swings at the turtle with her right axe jaw, but the turtle manages to bite hard on it to toss her into the ceiling. "Kinsaurus!"

The smoke clears from her landing, revealing Kinsaurus has fainted. Black retrieves his Pokemon. "Thanks for fighting so hard."

"Now would be a good time to surrender," N says to him. "But then again, I already know the answer."

"Of course you do." Black sends out his next Pokemon, Raika. 'Let's make up for that last fight.'

"It's pointless. Aqua Jet!" Carracoasta jets towards Raika.

"It's pointless to face my fastest fighter like that!" Raika jumps over top Carracoasta. "Thunderbolt!"

One hundred thousand volts course through the turtle's wet body, sending it crashing to the ground painfully. Raika jumps off at the last second, having less trouble than her opponent. Still, the signs of fatigue are present on the zebra's body from the last battle. 'Raika may not last long enough. Good thing Carracoasta's a water type.'

"Stone Edge!" Carracoasta fires stones at Raika.

"I'm sorry Raika, but you might have to take one for the team; Wild Charge!" Raika nods in response to her trainer's worried words, and charges straight through the stone pillage. She then tackles the turtle, attacking its stomach. Carracoasta falls backwards, while Raika falls to the side. Both faint.

"You're really burning through the teams, aren't you?" N speaks as he looks at Hilbert. "Hurting my Pokemon and yours just to stop me?"

"My Pokemon know and trust my decision. I would never ask them to do such a tactic if there was no choice," Hilbert tells the green haired king as he and N call back their Pokemon.

"You have such strong convictions." N releases his next Pokemon, Archeops. "It'll take more than conviction and strength to defeat this one."

"Archeops, huh?" Black takes out his Pokedex and scans the First Bird. He grabs hold of Date's ball, but something strikes his heart as if giving him a warning. "How about this?"

Black chooses Sir C. "What a poor choice."

"We'll see," says the black protagonist. "Earthquake!"

Sir C stomps the ground hard, but Archeops takes flight. Cheryl, Lucas and White fall down to the ground from that attack. 'Why do I feel it's not what it looks like?'

"Archeops, Focus Blast!" Archeops fires a blast of aura condensed into a ball at the crocodile.

"Rock Tomb!" Sir C stomps on the ground to raise pillars, one of which takes the Focus Blast. "Run across them for Brick Break!"

Sir C jumps on the first pillar and jumps along them to reach Archeops. Before the Pokemon could react, Sir C karate chops it in the head, sending it crashing to the ground. When the smoke clears and the rocks return to the ground, Archeops is revealed to be Zoroark.

"Whoa, what's that?" Hilbert scans the Pokemon. "Zoroark, the Monster Fox Pokemon: Each has the ability to use illusions to transform into any Pokemon it sees or through memory. Their illusory abilities can fool even large numbers of witnesses, and are essential in protecting their kind."

"I'm surprised. Did being Zekrom's host give you insight on seeing through Zoroark's illusion?" N asks Black.

"I just had a gut feeling something felt wrong. That's all," replies the black protagonist.

"I will create the future I desire! You won't stop me!" N shouts at him.

"Sir C, use Rock Tomb!" Sir C stomps hard on the ground, summoning pillars to crush Zoroark.

"Focus Blast!" Zoroark blows his way out and leaps above the crocodile. "Flamethrower!"

Flames surround Sir C, trapping him in place. "Focus Blast!"

"Rock Tomb!" Zoroark gathers his hands together to toss the blast, but gets struck in the stomach by the attack. Focus Blast falls from his hands and lands on Sir C's head, knocking him out. "Sir C!"

"Hilbert's not doing so good," says his sister as she watches them.

"Return, Sir C." As Hilbert calls back his Pokemon he turns his eyes to Lucas and the others behind him. 'I still have a chance.' "Go, Date!"

Sending out Date is the next move. "Date, Hydro Pump!"

"Focus Blast!" Zoroark tosses an attack at Date, who blows it back into Zoroark's stomach with the power of Hydro Pump. Date then charges at Zoroark, both swords drawn.

"Slash!"

"Night Slash!" Zoroark dashes at high speed at the comparably slower samurai. Date raises his arms and guards using the scabbards on his arms. Date drops his left sword and reaches out to grab Zoroark's tail, and tosses him in the air.

"Hydro Pump!" Date fires up at the monster fox, blasting him with pressurized water. Zoroark hits the ground beside the battlefield, having fainted. "Alright, Date!"

N takes out Zoroark's Pokeball and retrieves him. "You did well, Zoroark."

His next Pokemon is Klingklang. 'I can't lose here! I'm so close!'

"Klingklang, the Gear Pokemon: It has a red core that works as an energy tank, and charges at rapid speed." This is the reading in Black's Pokedex. "Date, Slash!"

Date slashes at the metal Pokemon, but all he gets is a clang noise. "Metal Sound!"

A sharp sound releases from the metal type's body, which pierces into the ears of Date and the dragon's. Of course the latter have some form of immunity, but Date is suffering the most. "Thunderbolt!"

Klingklang releases electricity to surround the Pokemon's body, shocking it to the core. Knowing he's outmatched, Black retrieves his Pokemon. "I'll have to go with you. Zeros!"

Out comes Zeros, who takes flight above Klingklang. "V-Create!"

Zeros flies at Klingklang with a flaming V on his ears. "Flash Cannon!"

Klingklang fires at the fox, covering him in an explosion that knocks him to the ground. 'That attack requires getting too close for a hit. It's enough to finish off my Pokemon, but I won't let it.'

"Psychic!" Zeros uses psychic powers to lift Klingklang, but soon finds it really heavy.

"Flash Cannon!" Klingklang fires at Zeros, who takes the hit but continues holding onto Klingklang.

"Don't give up! You can finish this in one! V-Create!" While still using Psychic, Zeros flies towards the metal gears and strikes using his strongest attack. It covers the skies in a fiery explosion.

The heat of the explosion covers the area in an orange-red light, that overshadows Lucas' face. As the flames clear, revealing Victini and Klingklang are okay, White grabs hold of Lucas to help him up.

"I don't think this can work," says Lucas as he continues to think of a way to awaken her. "Maybe I should just give up."

"Lucas, this Cheryl girl," White begins as she turns him around. "Does she get really jealous seeing her boyfriend around other girls?"

"Like a green-eyed monster. Why?" asks Lucas. He gets his answer in the form of a kiss as White locks lips with him.

Seeing them in this scenario, her eyes suddenly shoot wide open when the cloudy images in her mind are blown away by a blue aura, and shows Lucas. Her mind suddenly gains images of the time she spent with Lucas.

_"Well, we don't have to split up; I mean, you're going to challenge Gardenia right?"_

_"Of course. I was planning to ask you anyway. It would be nice to travel the world with you, especially if it can make you happy."_

_"Yes. I have feelings for you...I'm not sure if they're as strong as yours but it's still positive."_

_"Cheryl! You need to work on your jealousy! Your eyes go greener than they already are when another girl's around me!"_

_"It's like I once said, 'if I'm the only one who can do this then I'll do it'."_

_"I love you, Cheryl."_

Cheryl's eyes grow watery as she looks at him, all of those memories returning to her like a flood. "Lucas..." But as they return, her eyes explode into flames seeing White and Lucas kissing. The moment they finish she tightens her fist and throws a punch at Lucas' face, screaming, "HOW DARE YOU CHEAT ON ME YOU BASTARD?"

N and Black take their minds out of the battle to see what happened, and spots Cheryl holding a beaten up Lucas in her hands. "Cheryl?"

"How could you kiss some hussy like that? I thought you loved me!" she shouts at him, shaking the poor boy violently. By now he's unconscious, having been hit too hard by that punch. Infact, a chip of ice falls from his right cheek.

"I was right! You do remember now!" White says with a grin.

"What?" Cheryl glares evilly at White, hoisting her boyfriend away.

"Lucas told me before in one of his stories that you get jealous easily," she begins, crossing her arms over her chest. "So I figured if you really did love him you wouldn't be able to resist doing that."

"Huh? What..." Cheryl grabs hold of her head. "Why did I forget about Lucas?"

Soon she regains her memories of when Arceus took Lucas to Unova. "Oh... Have you been looking after him this whole time?"

"Yup! He's a great friend to be around," White says before turning her eyes to the diamond protagonist.

His eyes open up, revealing to him White and Cheryl. "Cheryl..."

"Lucas!" Cheryl hugs Lucas tightly, but soon lightens up and releases him. "Ooh, you're really cold."

"Really?" Lucas' mind snaps, as he remembers what that fake him said.

_"You're possessing my body."_

Lucas pulls himself out of Cheryl's hold, and backs away. "Lucas? What's wrong?"

"Cheryl? You remember me?" he asks her.

"Yeah... I remember everything about you..." says, the green haired woman, placing a hand on his cheek. Her fingers tingle feeling how cold he is. "What's wrong?"

"I'm glad." Tears fall from Lucas' eyes, freezing before hitting the ground. White sees this, and is surprised.

"Lucas, how did you do that?"

"V-Create!" Zeros flies at Klingklang to attack once more.

"Thunderbolt!" Klingklang shoots at Zeros, who blocks with his flames. He manages to strike the gears in the red center, and both fall to the ground in pain. Klingklang faints while Zeros begins to breathe slowly.

"No..." N backs away slowly seeing his Pokemon has fallen. Black heads into the battlefield and helps up Zeros.

"Zeros, you okay?" he asks his Pokemon. Zeros nods and gives a V sign. "Good. You've done enough. Rest now."

"This can't be happening..." N mutters, his eyes unable to perceive what's going on. He's trained for this moment, to defeat Hilbert and prove he's the true hero meant to change the world for the better. For him to be able to resist him this much must mean he may be right.

'No, I can't think that! Not until one of us falls!' "Archeops!" His last Pokemon Archeops appears to the field. "My last friend, please lend me your strength!"

"I'll say the same for you!" Date appears on the field after Black retrieves Zeros. "It's all up to you. I won't let Zeros suffer anymore than he has already for the conclusion. Let's make this showy!"

"Let's go! Stone Edge!" Archeops fires at Date.

"I'm getting sick of that attack! Hydro Pump!" By releasing Hydro Pump, Date blows away the sharp rocks with ease.

"Acrobatics!" Archeops flies over Date and begins rapidly pounding him mid attack. Date falls face foward to the ground, and Archeops returns to the sky.

"Date!" The otter manages to pull himself up, still reeling from that last attack. He glares up at the first bird, his eyes turning annoyed upon seeing her. "Slash!"

"Dragon Claw!" Archeops slashes the sword away, and releases Stone Edge.

"Hydro Pump and Razor Shell!" Date blows away the stones again before trying to slice Archeops, and failing.

The two Pokemon separate, and face eachother. Date looks ragged and tired while Archeops still has a few lives left. 'Date won't last any longer at this rate... I have to go with that...'

"Date, Razor Shell!" Date, understanding what Black is aiming for, charges at the the first bird.

'Gotcha!' "Crunch!" Archeops bites on the blade and takes flight, dragging the samurai with him.

"Let go of the sword!" Date releases his grip on the blade, but doesn't notice the sharp stones floating in midair just below him.

"Stone Edge!" The stones pummel Date hard, horribly injuring the samurai otter. Date hits the ground in pain.

"Date..." Black cringes and looks away. Lucas and the others are horrified seeing this as well.

"White! Pull Date back! He can't fight anymore!" White tells her brother.

"I can't. There are no other Pokemon left for battle..." he mumbles, gripping his fists tightly. 'Please, endure this pain and stand...'

"I believe you only have one Pokemon left for battle. Ready to surrender?" N asks Black. But after he does Date slams his left hand to the ground, and pushes himself to his feet. "It can't be."

'It's here.' "Date, it's time to reveal your true power!" Black shouts, as a blue aura explodes from the samurai otter.

"What the? What is this?" N backs away feeling the power Date is expelling.

"Hydro Pump!" Date opens his mouth and fires at Archeops, only shooting out a pressurized, spiraling ball of ice water instead of a stream. "Eh?"

The attack strikes Archeops, who was weighed down by the sword. The explosion of water captures Archeops inside, who crashes to the ground in pain. Archeops picks himself up and growls at Date, but it's rather weak. 'His Pokemon willingly took that much damage, just so he could make a combat... He trusted Hilbert enough to go through that... Amazing...'

"Once more! Go in for the finish!" Date grabs both blades and charges at Archeops. White and Lucas cheer on Date's behalf, while Cheryl remains stun.

N smiles in defeat, as he awaits Date's approach. 'Maybe I was wrong... Pokemon battles have brought those two together so close that they both trust the other completely enough for no words to be spoken.'

Date slashes, slicing through the first bird. Archeops falls face forward, unable to move anymore. Lucas and Hilda shout in unison, "Winner, HILBERT HAKUMEI!"

Hilbert gives out a big sigh of relief, falling down to his knees. Date does as well, tired from that battle. "Date, thank you for your hard work... I'll treat you to your favorite later."

With that, Black retrieves his Pokemon for a well deserved rest. "

"I've lost...The truth I've pursued...Everything's ruined." N falls to his knees in defeat after he retrieves Archeops. "Reshiram and I were beaten. Your ideals… Your feelings… They were stronger than mine, it seems… Reshiram and Zekrom… Each of them choosing a different hero… Is that even possible?

"Two heroes living at the same time— one that pursues truth and one that pursues ideals. Could… Could they both be right? I don't know. It's not by rejecting different ideas, but by accepting different ideas that the world creates a chemical reaction. This is truly the formula for changing the world."

"N..."

"But…I have no right to be the hero!" he shouts, falling forward to the ground with his fists pounding.

Black approaches N and places a hand on his shoulder, but before he could speak something pierces into his back. The sound of a gunshot echoes through the building. "Hilbert!"

Elsewhere...

Cynthia walks towards the window of the villa she got from Lucas, wrapped in only a white bed sheet. As she looks out into the night sky, she sighs. "I was hoping to spend more time with my husband... I need to train a replacement..."

Cynthia heads back to her bed, but suddenly stops for a moment. She drops her sheet, exposing herself, and places her hands to her head with a surprised look. Her eyes turn to the wedding album on her dresser. Running towards it she opens it up, and scans over the pictures until she sees a photo with her and all her friends, including Riley. As her eyes look over everyone, she stops at the one boy she couldn't put a finger on until now. "L-Lucas."

In the kitchen, Riley is setting up the dining room for a romantic dinner with his wife. But as he's setting the plates, he suddenly pauses. One of the plates falls to the ground, shattering to pieces. 'Lucas... I remember him!'

Elsewhere in Twinleaf, a set of plates crash to the ground. Before them is the blue haired mother Johanna. Tears fall from her eyes as a thought rushes to her head. "Lucas... How could I have forgotten you?"

In Johto Jasmine is polishing her Steelix's chin. During this she suddenly stops, and after a considerate amount of time tears fall from her eyes. 'L-Lucas!'

Soon everyone Lucas knew begins to remember him, one after another. Eventually even the Pokemon League committee remembers and reinstates his title as Champion.

Back In Unova...

"After all of that, do you think you're still worthy of sharing the name Harmonia with me? You good-for-nothing son of mine!" Ghetsis shouts, glaring down at his fallen son as he walks towards him.

"What...What's going on?" Cheryl asks everyone.

"To begin with, I had two children, Cheryl and Natural Harmonia Gropius." Ghetsis points over to the girl beside Lucas and then his son N. Hearing this news shocks her. "I spurred Natural into pursuing truth, ever since he was a baby. I had read the legends which spoke that a human could one day reawaken the legendary Pokemon of Unova. I had planned on raising Cheryl to do the same, because both her and N possessed the ability to speak with Pokemon... But their mother discovered my plan, and left me with Cheryl to Sinnoh...I feared she would spill the beans of my plan, so I made an arrangement with Team Rocket."

Lucas' eyes widen in shock, before they turn to anger. "What? You're the one who got Team Rocket to kill Cheryl's 17 years ago?"

"Wait, how do you know that?" Cheryl asks him.

"Gardenia told me. She also said you guys aren't real blood sisters." Hearing this almost breaks Cheryl's heart.

"In recent years I learned she was alive, but since I put too much work into N I had to rely on him. You see," Ghetsis raises his free hand. "The reason we reawakened the legendary Pokémon now was to give MY Team Plasma more power! Power to control the fearful masses! That at least was well done. With Cheryl I could provide a host for them to revive with, and her pursuing truth was perfect for Reshiram."

"You were planning to sacrifice your daughter for your goal?" Lucas shouts angrily at the man.

"She was no longer my daughter, and she didn't act like it either." Ghetsis sighs a bit before turning to N. "After saying you had to put your beliefs on the line and battle to see which one chosen by the legendary Pokémon was the true hero... You still lost, TO AN ORDINARY, FUCKING TRAINER!" Ghetsis pistol whips his son in the face, causing him to bleed in that one hit. The others gasp in shock at his attack, which also enrages Black and White. "There is such a thing as being too stupid! Add it up, and you are nothing more than a warped, defective boy who knows nothing but Pokémon..."

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" Black shouts at him. "All you can think about is me, me, me! Don't you have anything worth more to you? Isn't it a father's goal to make sure their children achieve theirs?"

"No... But you wouldn't know anything about that. After all your father is hardly ever around your family." After Ghetsis says this, Black clenches his fists in rage. He stands up to fight, but his tiredness from the fight and the bullet in his back is doing his no good. "That's right; I had the Shadow Triad look into your family, and I found out about your parents' drama."

"You have no right peering into our lives!" White yells at him.

"Hilbert Hakumei, I never once in my life figured you would awaken Zekrom, and have it work with you!" Ghetsis pockets his gun and turns to the boy. "This doesn't change my goal. My plans have not been disturbed! In order to rule this world utterly, in order to manipulate the hearts of people who know nothing, I will have N be the king of Team Plasma. But, for that to work, because you know too much, you all must be eliminated!"

"This can't be..." N mutters, his resolve shattered.

"I won't let you!" White stands before the others, holding out a Pokeball.

"That's enough!" Alder and Cheren walk into the room from behind the group, facing Ghetsis. "I've heard everything. You've lied about everything, haven't you?"

"Of course they were lies! What good will come of losing useful things like Pokemon?" Ghetsis questions the former champion. "Certainly, manipulating Pokémon helps people expand their possibilities. That much, I can agree with, along with the fact that losing such valuable tools like Pokemon would be foolish. So it naturally follows that only I should be able to use Pokémon!"

Black snaps; hearing the word use on the word Pokemon really set him off, as if he couldn't control himself. He screams, "USE?"

"That's right! Pokemon are only meant to be used! Even those seen as gods are just Pokemon!" Ghetsis' good eye turns to Black and then the two dragons. "Even if it did choose you Hilbert, you're still not a threat. After all, you've been weakened in your fight with Natural so you and your Pokemon are all helpless against me."

To further prove his point, Ghetsis sends out Cofagrigus. Nobody notices this at first, but Black could see that the Pokemon has a blinking light inside the coffin. "The fact of the matter is no trainer here has the strength to stand up to me! You fools focusing your power on Natural has made you weak and vulnerable. I'll erase you all and commence with the plan!"

"Stop!" Lucas stands before the others just as Cofagrigus fires a Shadow Ball. Before the attack hits, a wall of flames rises up and surrounds them, blocking the Shadow Ball.

"Eh?" Ghetsis looks at the flames in shock.

The flames collect in front of Lucas, and take the form of Ho-Oh. "Ho-oh?"

"Lucas!" Houou embraces Lucas tightly, hugging him with all her effort. Cheryl immediately darts eyes at the woman.

"Houou, what are you doing here?" he asks her, pushing the phoenix off of him.

"Arceus wants me to give you this." Houou hands Lucas a belt. Looking at it his eyes bulge open in surprise to realize that it's his Pokeball belt. "She lifted your expulsion early. Everyone you know remembers you now."

Lucas' eyes widen even further, if that was ever possible, before narrowing as he begins to tear up. "That old lady really does have a heart..."

"What's going on?" White asks.

"The legendary Pokemon, Houou, in human form," Cheryl says to the girl.

Lucas nods to the phoenix and turns his attention to Ghetsis, who is just as confused as everyone who couldn't see her. "What was that?"

"It's been a long time, but now..." Lucas flings the belt around his waist and attaches it. "...the Diamond King makes his return."

Ghetsis laughs and says, "Diamond King? What the hell are you talking about? Are you really thinking of-"

"Save it," says the diamond protagonist. "You're pretentious, this castle sucks, and I want beef. So let's get this over with!" Lucas takes out a Pokeball and sends out his first choice, Blitz. The Luxray lands before Cofagrigus, and gives a powerful roar before expelling electricity.

"So you did have Pokemon... Whatever, it doesn't matter. Go, Shadow Ball!" The sarcophagus Pokemon fires at Blitz.

"Discharge!" Blitz releases a shockwave of electricity to block the ball, forcing it to explode. Blitz rushes in at Cofagrigus and leaps at the golden Pokemon. "Crunch!"

Blitz bites down hard on the coffin, but to no avail. It's just too hard for Luxray to make any effect. "You must be a fool to think your Pokemon could break into mine! Toxic!"

"Jump away!" Blitz leaps off of the coffin, but the Pokemon manages to open its mouth portion to fire a toxic ooze that poisons the lion. Blitz cringes in pain as it takes effect, causing Lucas to grit his teeth angrily.

Ghetsis laughs at his predicament. "Psychic!"

Blitz gets caught in a psychic hold, one that causes her major pain. "Return!"

Lucas retrieves his Pokemon, who couldn't stand up to Cofagrigus. Cheryl says, "Lucas, don't focus on brute force! Type advantage alone won't cut it!"

"Yeah, thanks," he says, checking his Pokeballs for a specific one. He picks it and says, "It's time for a change of pace. Go, Lucas!"

Lucas sends out his next Pokemon, Lucas the Lucario. "Shadow Ball!"

Cofagrigus fires Shadow Ball right away, before Lucario could form completely. When he does appear, he ducks down out of the way. The ball heads for the others, but Black and Zekrom fuse together and deflects it to the ceiling. "Foresight!"

Lucario flashes a red light from his eyes at Cof, making it visible to fighting attacks. "Aura Sphere!"

"Shadow Ball!" Cofagrigus fires at Lucario, who dodges with ease and fires back.

"Protect!" Cofagrigus confines itself inside its coffin to block the sphere.

"Extreme speed!" Lucario charges at Cofagrigus. Cof uses Protect again, saving itself once more and knocking Lucas back. "Aura Sphere!"

Lucario, while midair, charges an Aura Sphere before tossing it at the ghost type. It tries to use Protect again, but fails to do it three times in a row, and gets pulverized into the ground. Angered, Ghetsis shouts, "Don't let that dog take you down! Use Toxic!"

"Run straight through and use Ice Punch!" Lucario charges at Cofagrigus, taking the Toxic without any effect, and punches the ghost square in the face. The punch freezes the ghost over completely. "WHAT?"

"Didn't you know? Steel types can't be poisoned," Black tells him with a grin.

"Finish it off with Aura Sphere!" Lucario shatters the ice around Cofagrigus, and faints. As it falls, the light falls out of the coffin, revealed to be a headband similar to what Cheryl wore.

"What?" Ghetsis retrieves his Pokemon with a frown. "So you're not as weak as I came to assume. No matter, this should even things!"

Ghetsis sends out his next Pokemon, Bisharp. Like Cofagrigus, it has a mysterious headband over his head. Lucas cups his chin and grins, trying to remember the tricks Black used to defeat it. "Lucas, Aura Sphere!"

Lucario fires an Aura Sphere, and Bisharp receives the attack without trouble. Lucas then shouts, "Crap!"

"Metal Burst!" Bisharp sends it right back at Lucario, blasting him and knocking the aura user down.

'Should have remembered that...' Lucas slaps his forehead as he recalls Black's battle with a Bisharp not too long ago. 'Oh well. We can get through this.'

"Finish him off with Stone Edge!" Bisharp summons an array of sharp stones that fly at Lucario.

"I'm sick of that attack too... Lucario, dodge and use Extreme Speed!" Lucas ducks and dodges the sharp rocks with high speed movement, but that's not enough as Lucario soon gets hit in the face, leaving a blade cut on the side of his right eye socket. "Lucario!"

"Night Slash!" Bisharp charges at Lucario, and begins horribly slashing him.

"Aura Sphere!" After being thrown back by that last attack, Lucario tosses a second Aura Sphere at Bisharp. This time he gets a successful blast.

"Gah! What are you doing? X-Scissor!" Bisharp leaps in the air for a double slash.

"Ice Punch!" Lucario jumps up at Bisharp and punches him square in the stomach, but receives the X slash to the skull. Bisharp and Lucario land on opposite ends, and the metal/dark type faints.

"No!"

"Alright, Lucario!" Lucas cheers, but pauses when he sees Lucario fall too. "Lucario!"

"That must have been too much for Lucario," White says, clasping her mouth in shock.

"What's going on?" Cheryl asks.

"I think I can explain it," Black says to her, as Lucas and Ghetsis retrieves their Pokemon. "Ghetsis lied to you. He was planning on giving your life up to Reshiram so N, Natural I guess, becomes the king of the world and forces others to release their Pokemon. That way he could rule over everyone because he kept Pokemon by his side."

"She was really hoping to avoid this... It would have been better if the dragons were still rocks... That way he wouldn't have made his move," Houou says to herself.

Having heard the phoenix, Black pulls on her kimono and asks, "Who wouldn't make their move? And who's she?"

"Who are you talking to?" White asks.

"I must ask though now that I have you hear, just who is that person to you? You are neither a long term friend of his nor a member of this region. Just what brings you to disrupt my plans?" Ghetsis questions the diamond protagonist with interest.

"Because we're friends," Lucas says with a grin. "I figure someone like you wouldn't understand what I'm talking about, so I'm not even going to bother explaining it."

Lucas sends out his next Pokemon, Geyser the Floatzel, to battle. Ghetsis chooses the powerful Bouffalant, which also has a headband on. "Earthquake!"

Bouffalant stomps the ground hard, hard enough for the floor to break apart. Black almost falls into where the water used to be, but Zekrom grabs hold of his arm and pulls him back up.

"You'd be much safer with me inside," says the dragon before he enters his body. Black clutches his stomach feeling that familiar pain shoot through him, before it ends.

"Bouffalant, the Bash Buffalo Pokemon: These Pokemon have extremely hard heads destructive enough to headbutt a moving train, and derail it. The fur on their bodies absorb damage luckily." This is the reading in White's Pokedex.

"Geyser, Aqua Jet!" Geyser takes off at Bouffalant, striking the buffalo in the head. But Geyser bounces back and rolls along the ground, the attack having little effect. "Eh?"

"Didn't you know? Bouffalant has strong hair." Ghetsis laughs as he watches his opponent's pokemon rub his head in pain. "Bouffalant, Wild Charge!"

"Jump over him and use Water Gun!" Gesyer jumps over the Pokemon, but gets shocked as it passes under him. Bouffalant stops charging and glares at Gesyer.

"I was expecting exactly that kind of tactic. Head Charge!" Bouffalant prepares to make another assault.

"Ice Punch!" Geyser lands before the charging buffalo and throws an ice punch at his left eye, but he gets blown away by the power of Head Charge. Hitting a piece of ceiling that's actually still there he crashes to the ground, fainting. "Geyser!"

Ghetsis gives out a proud laugh, glad to see he's still owning this kid. "Not so much fun losing is it, Diamond King?"

"Don't gloat. Or else you'll miss the part where I win," Lucas says with a cold look in his eyes. He retrieves Geyser and summons his next Pokemon, revealed in a swirl of sand and wind.

"Don't let it appear! Head Charge!" Bouffalant charges at the Pokemon, but an arm reaches out and grabs the head, stopping the buffalo in its tracks. The dust blows away, revealing Natsu the Infernape.

"Natsu, Brick Break!" Natsu performs a karate chop to the Pokemon's head, knocking it sideways to the ground.

"What's wrong with you! Don't let that animal make a monkey out of you! Earthquake!" Bouffalant picks himself up and stomps hard on the ground, forcing the fire type to capture her balance. "Head Charge again!"

"Launch yourself in the air by using Flamethrower on the ground!" Natsu fires at the floor, shooting high in the air to avoid the charge. Coming down behind the buffalo Natsu's hair grows furiously. "Flare Drive!"

Bouffalant turns around to attack Natsu, who hits back using her own recoil attack. The attacks hit, and an explosion of flames consumes them both. Natsu leaps out of the flames, red electricity sparking through her body as she takes the recoil damage. The fire dies, revealing Bouffalant standing tall and unaffected apparently. "No way!"

"Now you see just how powerless you truly are. Wild Charge!" Bouffalant prepares its neck attack, but couldn't when it's suddenly surrounded by flames. Both Ghetsis and Lucas are shocked seeing this, until the diamond protagonist realizes it's the Burn effect taking place. Bouffalant falls to its knees. "No! This can't be happening!"

"Flamethrower!" Natsu sets fire to the Pokemon, even more than it already is, and causes it to faint. After it falls, Natsu grins with triumph, before falling down to one knee. 'Damn. The Head Charge hurt her too.'

"I won't let it end like this... I will not!" Ghetsis complains as he retrieves his Pokemon. He didn't notice, but the headband it wore has been burnt off. He chooses his next Pokemon, the Vibration Pokemon Seismitoad.

"Seismitoad, the Vibration Pokemon: It increases the power of its punches by vibrating the bumps on its fists. They can also shoot paralyzing liquids from its head." This is the reading in White's Pokedex.

"Natsu, Flamethrower!" Fire shoots at the toad, but fails to hurt it even a little.

"Blow it away," Ghetsis says, and Seismitoad blows away the flames using a vibrating punch. "Muddy Water!"

Seismitoad opens wild and fires jets of muddied water from its mouth, dirtying and drenching the fire ape.

"Natsu!" Lucas raises his Pokeball to retrieve his Pokemon, but by the time she's not being attacked the Infernape faints. "Natsu!"

Lucas silently retrieves his Pokemon, and takes out another ball. "Go, Shaymin!"

His next Pokemon is the legendary Shaymin as a hedgehog. White states, "Ah! It's so cute!"

"A grass type? Rain dance." Seismitoad calls down rain to the ground, pouring down on everyone.

"Energy Ball!" Shaymin fires, but Seismitoad disappears in a blink of an ice and runs towards the hedgehog, avoiding the attack. "Eh?"

"Swift Swim; Seismitoad can move faster when it's raining." Seismitoad appears before a frightened Shaymin. "Sludge Wave."

Seismitoad opens its mouth to fire ooze at Shaymin, knocking him over to the side. Lucas retrieves his Pokemon just in time. "This isn't going well."

"Having trouble?" Ghetsis asks cockily.

"Let's go, Blitz!" He sends out his lion Pokemon.

"Muddy Water!" Seismitoad fires at Blitz, who leaps out of the way. In doing so, his injuries are more present.

'Blitz won't last long, and electric attacks are useless if that's what I think it is...I just need to stall long enough.' Lucas grits his teeth as he tries to think of a plan.

"Earthquake!" Seismitoad stomps hard on the ground, sending a tremor that knocks Blitz in the air.

"Blitz!" Lucas reaches out for his Pokemon, but when she falls he couldn't catch the lion. "...Blitz..."

"Running out of leg room, are we?" Ghetsis says in a taunting voice.

"Shut up!" Lucas retrieves his fallen Pokemon, and holds up Shaymin's ball. As he looks at it, his vision becomes worse. "I won't give up. I won't let these guys down... Let's go, Shaymin!"

He sends out Shaymin, who enters the raining field prepared for battle.

"Lucas!" Ho-Oh throws something at Lucas, who manages to grab it. Looking at it, he gasps. "I'm sorry I forgot to give it to you."

"Well thanks for handing it over now." Lucas turns to Shaymin and places the item, a Gracidea Flower, on her head. The hedgehog transforms, turning into a reindeer. Shaymin takes flight, despite the rain pouring down on her.

"Sky Form Shaymin, Quick Attack!" Shaymin takes off at blinding speed at Seismitoad, who was too slow to dodge at the last second.

"Seismitoad, Sludge Wave!" Seismitoad prepares to attack Shaymin.

"Energy Ball!" Shaymin takes to the skies and fires down at the Pokemon. Seismitoad releases his attack, which is blocked by Energy Ball. He then jumps in the air at Shaymin, but with its weight and Shaymin's altitude the toad doesn't reach. "Energy Ball point blank!"

Shaymin fires at the toad, hitting at close range in the face. The toad crashes to the ground, fainting. "N-No! This can't be happening!"

"Hurry up and send out your next Pokemon, you third-string old man!" Lucas shouts at him.

"Don't get cocky..." Ghetsis retrieves his Pokemon and chooses the next, Eelektross.

"Eelektross, the Eelfish Pokemon: Upon evolution they gain arms to crawl on land with. With their sucker mouths they suck in prey and with their teeth electricute them." This is the report of the Pokedex the twins own.

"Shaymin, Quick Attack!" Shaymin flies towards Eelektross. 'It's an electric type, so Shaymin should be fine for the moment until I can form a plan.'

"Flamethrower!" To Lucas' surprise, the eel fires flames at Shaymin, knocking her out of the sky.

"Shaymin!" Shaymin falls into Lucas' arms just as he catches the Pokemon. 'It can use fire attacks?'

"And now there's only one. It's become time for you to give up. I know you don't want to put your Pokemon through anymore pain," Ghetsis sneeringly says to him.

Lucas calls Shaymin back into the Master Ball. 'My last Pokemon...I have to make this count. Good thing it's him.'

"Go, Gabriel!" Lucas sends out his last Pokemon, Garchomp.

White scans the Pokemon. "Garchomp, the Mach Pokemon: Its body is covered in fine scales. They reduce drag when it flies, at a speed reaching past the speed of sound. The speed they fly allows their fins to create blades of wind that can fell trees."

"Wild Charge!" Eelektross charges at Garchomp and attacks, but the attack does no harm to it. Garchomp simply smacks the eel away like a gnat. "What?"

"Garchomp is a dragon/ground type. Looks like you need to go visit Sinnoh sometime," Lucas says to him with a grin. His hearing becomes impaired at this point, and his arm turns cold, colder than it used to be. 'Not yet. I can't fall to this body yet.' "Garchomp, Dragon Rush!"

Eelektross gets slammed in the face by the powerful dragon attack. "Once more!"

"Dragon Claw!" Eelektross couldn't attack in time, still flinched from the first rush. The eel collapses to the ground, fainting.

"Go, Lucas!" Black and White cheer for their friend. Cheryl smiles comfortably as she watches her father retrieve his Pokemon, knowing Lucas could win now that he has Gabriel.

N looks up to the battle, finding himself leaving his funk from the news his father gave him.

"It seems I've underestimated you completely... But no more." Ghetsis holds out his last Pokeball. "I will kill you all using the ultimate weapon under my control. Hydreigon."

He tosses his Pokeball behind him, and it pops open. Out from it rises a humongous three headed dragon. This shocks everyone, especially Ho-Oh who has seen one before.

White and Black take out their Pokedexes and scan it. "Hydreigon, the Brutal Pokemon: This Pokemon has three heads, two of which have no brains for independent thoughts. Traveling the skies with six wings, they attack, devour and destroy anything they want."

"What a terrifying Pokemon," White says in fear.

'This Hydreigon, it's...bigger than the others! And it's of a different color!' True to Ho-Oh's thoughts the dragon is allot bigger than the originals. It flies at a height equal in length to the legendary dragons Reshiram and Zekrom, and is green, purple and black in color.

"Lucas, look out! Hydreigon isn't suppose to be this big!" Ho-Oh says, shocking Black and Lucas.

"It's bigger than normal?" Lucas asks her.

"That's right. It's a little something my scientists cooked up. By capturing a Deino we were able to perform experiments on it." Ghetsis places a hand to the article on his eye. "One day though we purchased a machine from a former member of Team Rocket that accelerated its growth and evolved it earlier into a Zweilous. That's when it broke free and became hostile, and took my eye."

"...Ow..." Lucas mutters.

"After a while we developed a device to keep its rage under wraps, along with the other Pokemon in my collection. It even works on humans," Ghetsis says, glaring at his daughter for a moment.

"I think I get the gist of it..." Lucas says to him. His teeth grit angrily as he glares at Ghetsis, and ignoring the battle charges at the green haired man.

"Dragon Pulse!" Hydreigon fires a ball of energy in front of Lucas, destroying the ground he's standing and having him fall into the chasm created.

"Lucas!" Cheryl and White shout. They didn't have time to worry about him, for the attack also ruined the ground they stand on too, including Natural and his father. Hydreigon catches the old man though.

"Zekrom!" Black's body transforms into Zekrom, allowing him to grab Cheryl. White slips from his grasp though and falls. "Hilda!"

Reshiram's light stone falls down towards Hilda, entering her head. The power of the stone takes over White's body. Influenced she lands on a falling platform and jumps along midair debris to reach Zekrom/Black, grabbing onto his toenail.

Cheryl, having seen that, asked, "White, how did you do that?"

"I don't know! Something entered my mind and then I just felt a jolt of energy filled my body!" she says as she pulls herself up on Zekrom's leg.

"Reshiram entered your body. She did all that," Zekrom says, talking through his host's voice instead of his own.

"Eh? My body?"

"Nevermind that now. Where's Lucas?" Black asks, now back in control. He and the girls look down at the chasm below.

Down below, Lucas begins to open his eyes, having suddenly fallen unconscious from getting hit by the pulse. "Ah, what was that? Did that dragon atta-"

He pauses for a moment trying to move his right hand, but pauses when he sees that his right arm and the side of his face has been frozen. Lucas screams and grabs hold of his frozen, dragon arm. "My arm!"

Ho-Oh lands before Lucas, saying, "Lucas, are you oka-Eh?"

Lucas turns to face the phoenix, who he knows saw his arm and face. "Your arm...Lucas, what happened?"

"...I'll tell you later," replies the trainer. Gabriel flies down to reach Lucas, who climbs on his back.

"Tell me now! Is there something wrong with your body?" Ho-Oh shouts at him.

"He forced his daughter to do all those things!" Lucas shouts at her, shocking the bewildered woman. "He put one of those bands on her and made her a member of Team Plasma! How can I let him get away with that? I don't care about that ice Pokemon; I'm taking him down myself!"

"Ice Pokemon?" she asks in confusion.

"Let's go, Gabriel!" Gabriel roars and takes to the skies. His eyes glare at the mutant Hydreigon as he and his trainer prepare for battle.

Outside of The Castle...

The fake Lucas walks along the bridge towards the castle of Team Plasma. "Alright, let's see what that guy's up to."

* * *

Count za Mons! Currently, what Pokemon do the trio carry on them now?

Hilbert's Team: Date/Samurott, OOO/Victini, Sir Crocodile/Krookodile, Archer/Archeops, Raika/Zebstrika, Kinsaurus/Haxorus

Hilda's Team: Emolga, Gerdus/Golurk, Scolipede, Druddigon, Scrafty

Lucas's Team: Natsu/Infernape, Blitz/Luxray, Geyser/Floatzel, Shaymin, Lucas/Lucario, Gabriel/Garchomp

Julia: Next chapter, let's see...

Yusei: Lucas defeats Ghetsis, but his secret is exposed. The fake Lucas takes things into his own hands, but Hilbert takes a stand against him and learns of his desire.


	13. Chapter 13

**Journal Entry 13: A Pokemon's Desire  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

_Last Time..._

_Black, Lucas and White learn of N's past, right before his final battle with him. He wins, but then Ghetsis shows up and reveals he was the mastermind behind everything. Ho-Oh shows up and informs Lucas that he can battle with his Pokemon again and hands him his belt, where they face the true leader of Plasma Ghetsis. Reshiram enters White's body and Lucas begins to realize how much trouble he's really in._

Gabriel takes to the skies with Lucas on his back. As he does his icy features begin to disappear. Up above Ghetsis sneers down at Lucas, as if looking his nose down at him. "Still planning to fight?"

"Of course. Kids our age have plenty of energy. I know I have enough to stop you," says the diamond protagonist. "Gabriel, Dragon Rush!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Hydreigon fires at the earth dragon, who dodges with incredible speed. He then surrounds himself with swirling energy and rockets towards the shining. Gabriel makes a hit in the dragon's stomach, but it recovers with ease and growls. "Dragon Pulse again!"

This time, all three heads fire at Gabriel. "Draco Meteor!"

Gabriel fires, releasing a flurry of meteors directly for Hydreigon. Three of the pulses collide with the meteors, creating a smokescreen that blocks Lucas from seeing if the rest of them made the hit.

Back in the sidelines Zekrom/Black carries everyone to the entrance of the hall, before returning to his human form. The human/Pokemon hybrid turns his eyes to his sister, who has recently become Reshiram's new host. 'Why did Reshiram choose her? If he-'

"She," corrects the black dragon.

'If she wanted her why didn't she choose Hilda in the first place?' These thoughts plague the young hybrid trainer. His eyes go back to the battle, where Lucas is barely holding his own against Ghetsis now that his super dragon has appeared. "Lucas, don't give up!"

"You can do it!" cheers the champion's girlfriend.

"Fire Blast!" The dragon heads each fire a blast of flames at Lucas and Gabriel.

"Gabriel, wanna try taking a chance? Plow through with Dragon Rush!" Gabriel nods and surrounds himself with energy before flying at Hydreigon. The flames do little to damage Gabriel, being a dragon, but Lucas takes some of the hits and begins to melt a little. Gab manages to make a hit, striking the fat dragon in the stomach. Gabriel loses his aerial balance for a moment, leaving him wide open to the next attack.

"It's over; Dragon Pulse!" Hydreigon charges another triple attack.

"Damn. I don't think another Dragon Rush will work, and Draco Meteor has already weakened too much..." Lucas tries to think of a plan, but couldn't in time and both him and his Pokemon are struck by the triple ball blast. Gabriel hits a wall, but with Lucas on his back he takes most of the hit.

Cheryl holds her mouth in shock seeing that, her heart pulled the moment she saw that attack go through. "Lucas!"

"Finish it! Focus Blast!" Hydreigon charges up the final move.

"This isn't good; Gabriel won't survive another hit..." Lucas holds his Pokemon in his arms as he holds onto the wall. The attack still has an effect on Gabriel.

But at that moment, Gabriel's eyes glow dark red. As an evil, red aura overshadows the dragon, Gabriel glares up at Hydreigon. Lucas, still holding onto his Pokemon, asks out of concern, "Gabriel, are you okay?"

Instead of answering Gabriel flies at Hydreigon, headbutting the fat dragon in the stomach. Saliva spits out of its mouth from that hit, and knocks it out of the skies at Ghetsis. The big haired genius backs away out of horror before running, but gets caught in the collision that almost takes away his footing, and his life. Gabriel lands on top of Hydreigon; well, it's not so much landing more like kicking the dragon in the gut again.

Gabriel then falls to his knees, the red aura diminishing but the eyes still glowing red. Lucas falls off of his Pokemon's back, and after standing helps him up. 'That was Outrage. Gabriel went in a fit of anger and attacked, but when did he learn in the first place?'

Lucas retrieves his Pokemon, before turning his attention to the fainted Hydreigon. His eyes trace back to the green haired man, and he angrily says, "I win."

"No! This is impossible! My careful calculations! My grandiose plan!" Ghetsis falls to his knees and punches the ground rapidly. Each strike causes blood to sprinkle his knuckles and the dirt. His eyes glare up to Lucas, and then turn to Black. "YOU!"

"Eh?"

"This is all _your_ fault!" Ghetsis picks himself up and glares angrily at Black. He points his bloodied left hand index finger at the teen and shouts, "Who do you think you are getting in my way?-! You're nothing more than a pain in the ass! It took years to form this plan, and it's all taken down because of some brat who wanted to be a hero!

"You wanna be a hero?-! Go die like one!" Angry, Lucas grabs Ghetsis by the collar and headbutts him square in the forehead.

"Gah! You bastard! I won't be stopped by this! I am the perfect ruler of the perfect, new world! I am absolutely perfect!"

"Where do you get off saying things like that you pissant?-!" Lucas then pushes him to the ground. "You're the one who manipulated your son into becoming the hero chosen by Reshiram! You're the one who killed Cheryl's mother! You're the one who wanted this stupid world where humans and Pokemon would be separated! Your son only did all of those things because you were playing with his heart, so you have no right saying anything!

"Besides, if you're really perfect then you can't become better. There's no one who will pity you anymore," spits Lucas before turning back to the others.

Black transforms again into Zekrom and carries both Ghetsis and Lucas to their side of the bridge. After returning to normal he turns his attention back to Lucas, and the two fist bump. The human/Pokemon hybrid trainer says, "That was a great battle!"

"You too. I'm really gonna look forward to facing you, as a trainer," Lucas says to him, a smile adorning his face.

"No..." Cheren and Alder approach the man and grab hold of his arms. "This can't be! I won't let it end like this!"

Ghetsis breaks free of Alder's grip and grabs his gun, firing square at Black. For that instance, everyone freezes up, except for one person.

"Look out!" Lucas steps between the bullet and Black just in time for the right side of his face to get shot.

Cheryl and White hold their mouths in shock seeing this, but nothing could prepare any of them for what happens next. Lucas' face shatters, leaving the entire right side torn off. The color of his body fades away, and becomes as transparent as glass; his whole body has returned to ice.

'L-Lucas?' Cheryl freezes up seeing her beloved turning into ice. Lucas shatters to pieces before her very eyes, eyes that widen so much her veins could be seen.

"Lucas!" Black bends down on one knee to the ice, still unable to comprehend what happened.

"Did...Lucas..." White turns her eyes to Ghetsis, who is slammed into the ground by Alder. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO LUCAS?-!"

"What happened was not in my plan. It serves that brat right for getting in my way!" Black snaps once again; he runs up to Ghetsis and kicks him in the head. Blood shoots out of his mouth from the blow.

"Okay, that's enough," Alder says. The champion turns his attention back to N, and asks, "Lucas aside, do you still think Pokemon should be separated from humans?"

Natural remains silent. At this point Ghetsis laughs; with their attention drawn he says, "It's pointless! I couldn't become the hero and obtain the legendary Pokemon myself, so I fashioned my son! He's the perfect choice; he's nothing more than a freak without a human heart! Do you think you can get through to a warped monster like that?-!"

Cheren places a hand on Alder's shoulder. "It's a waste of breath talking to him. He's the one without a human heart."

"I suppose..." Alder takes out handcuffs; he cuffs the big haired villain and takes him away. "N, er, Natural, I know you weren't pursuing the truth because of Ghetsis' manipulation, but by your own convictions. If it were simply because of him you wouldn't have met the legendary Pokemon in the first place."

"...But I have no right to be the hero!" Natural retorts. As they speak, a man wearing a cap walks into the hall.

"N, I'm sure you'll find an answer. In the meantime, we're taking your father to big lock," Alder says as he and Cheren take Ghetsis towards the hallway exit.

"But what about Lucas?-!" Black asks. His eyes turn to Cheryl, who has remain frozen since his 'death'. "Cheryl's mind must have snapped seeing what happened, and we still don't know what happened."

"...I'm sorry, but I can't help you there." Alder bows his head in shame as he takes Ghetsis away. The figure from before has hidden underneath the bridge, allowing Alder and Cheren to leave.

'What a pansy. He couldn't even do a simple favor...' The guy flips back onto the bridge.

Houou lands before Lucas' remains. She couldn't believe what happened either, and begins crying. "Lucas...No..."

"Why...Why did he turn to ice?" asks Black to no one in particular.

"Yeah, it's a bit of a puzzler ain't it?" Speaking to them is the man from before, his face covered to conceal his identity. "All he had to do was find and take out the hosts of Reshiram and Zekrom and his body would return to normal, but nooooo! He had to be heroic!

"I should have done it myself." Black, White and Ho-Oh turn their attention to the mysterious intruder. He takes out a croissant and bites down.

"Who the hell are you?" Hilda questions the man.

"Well to start, I'm going to take back my body. Step aside, fire Pokemon," he says before taking out an ice knife to cut open his shirt. The shards of ice collect into his body.

At this point Cheryl snaps out of her shocked state. Her eyes turn to the new guy, and gasps when she catches a glimpse of his face. Tears fall from her eyes as she sees how much he resembles Lucas. "L-Lucas?"

Ho-Oh turns to Cheryl in shock. "No! That's impossible!"

"In a way, yeah." The fake Lucas pulls down his hood, revealing his face to everyone. Black and White gasp in shock while Ho-Oh remains stun. "'What's going on?' is something you probably want to ask... But as you can see, I am Lucas."

Black glares at the fake. "No you're not. Lucas isn't someone like you. Plus, he doesn't have a huge scar on his right cheek bone."

"Is that so..." Lucas places a hand on his right cheek. "That's too bad. That scar is a prominent feature to my face. Without it you wouldn't tell who I was."

"Who are you?-!" Black yells at him.

The fake Lucas finishes his croissant and gives out a burp. "Ah, that was delicious. It's been so long since I've enjoyed the taste of food I can barely contain my desires."

He turns his eyes to the group, and finally he says, "I am no different than the two dragons inside of the two of you or that woman. I am what you call a Pokemon."

"A Pokemon?" Black and White look at eachother.

Lucas looks back at "I'm sure you've all heard the story of how Reshiram and Zekrom were formed; a war took placed that caused them to split their souls into two and separate from the main body."

The siblings look at eachother again in shock. Ho-Oh then asks, "What does that have to do with-"

"Wait a second...That..." Black then remembers something he heard days ago from Iris and Drayden.

_"That single dragon, along with twin heroes, brought together a new region, and humans and Pokemon flourished together peacefully."_

_"But one day, the twins, the older brother who sought truth, and the younger brother who sought ideals, started infighting amongst eachother, and attempted to decide who was right. The dragon's body became rigid because of their fighting, and its soul left before it split in two."_

Lucas smiles at them before holding his hand out to White and Black. A cold wind blows at them. Ho-Oh calls forth flames to block the snow, which end up being frozen. Ho-Oh charges through to attack Lucas, but pauses for a split second unable to harm him. 'Damn it! Remember, that's not Lucas!'

"Freeze Bolt!" Lucas grabs Ho-Oh's arm and releases a powerful blue electricity that courses through her body. This thunder move freezes her body cold.

"Ho-Oh!" White charges at Lucas, but gets caught in an icy flurry. "Lucas, why are you doing this?-!"

"What no one spoke of is what happened to the body," begins the fake Lucas, his eyes glowing yellow. "The dragon's corpse was repelled into space, and its desire to live sprouted the power of the void of space to implement a frozen body. After years of living in the cold recesses the body crashed down to the earth. The frozen power it attained froze its body completely, and turned it into a monster.

"Without any feelings and only the memories of when it was alive keeping it going, the dragon lives as a whole new entity." Lucas then makes a sinister grin. "That dragon is me, Kyurem."

"Kyuremu?" Black repeats. His eyes flash red as Zekrom takes command and says, "**Lies! There's no way our body can be moving!**"

"Not lies. You were too caught up fighting eachother and believing that you'd only need to be superior to one to reclaim the body for yourself. You had no idea in the slightest of the possibility of the body wanting you two back." Kyurem holds his hand out to Black, and his body begins to twitch. He grabs his stomach and looks up at Kyurem, the pain in the area where Zekrom's stone rests starting to hurt.

"Hey wait, if you were looking for them then why wait until now?" Black asks as he tries to overcome this pain. His eyes continue to glow bright red.

Kyurem walks slowly towards Black. "I couldn't hold a human body to move around in, and I couldn't move around without creating a snowstorm to hide my presence. Besides, being sealed in stones I couldn't absorb them like that... But that's where Ghetsis came in. Once he began pursuing the legend of the dragons Zekrom and Reshiram so they would begin their fighting, I took action so I could take them over again."

"What? That was you?-!" Black becomes enraged hearing this guy was somehow behind Ghetsis' plans.

"I want you to hand over Zekrom and Reshiram's stones so I can devour them. It's not too late for your sister, but you'll end up dying when you hand over Zekrom," Kyurem says to the teen with a scowl.

"What? There's no way Black will kill himself for you!" White yells at Kyurem.

"Then I'll keep this Lucas kid for myself and he'll be alone for the rest of his life with me," says the yellow-eyed dragon as a devious grin rises on his face. His hair rapidly changes gray.

Before Kyurem could come closer, Cheryl comes up to him and grabs his shoulders. "It's dangerous! Get back!"

"Please, let Lucas free! He's been suffering alone all this time so this world can live on, and he did it all just because he cares more about others than himself! And when I did meet him I hurt him really badly; it's partly my fault he's in this mess! If he dies for nothing I don't think I can live with myself!" Cheryl grabs hold of Kyurem's arms as she speaks, tears falling freely from her eyes.

"That has nothing to do with me. Get off!" Kyurem pushes Cheryl off of him, but she sneaks in and gets to hug him. Surprised, Kyurem raises his right hand; ice sharpens the ends into claws for him to butcher her with. "I said GET OFF!"

"Cheryl!" Black reaches out for her, but his stomach pains continue to hold him down. White and Houou try to move too, but both are still frozen.

Before Kyurem could stab the green haired girl, a certain throb goes off in his frozen heart. Kyurem looks down at Cheryl, thinking, 'What is this feeling... It feels so strong...'

Instead of harming her, Kyurem places the same hand around her for a hug back. Everyone looks on in shock; even Cheryl looks up into Kyurem's, no, Lucas' eyes with perplexity. The ice dragon's eyes widen suddenly, before he begins to cry as well. "L-Lucas?"

'Why do I feel so warm being around this woman?-! Is it because of him?' Kyurem hugs Cheryl even tighter before summoning a blizzard around them. "You have my demands! Come north east of Lacunosa town in two days or less, no more."

As the blizzard fades, Kyurem disappears in the mist along with Cheryl. "Cheryl!"

Ho-Oh manages to break free of her frozen state and bows down to her knees. "Damn... I can't believe this happened! She warned me, and yet it still happened!"

"What?" White asks the bird Pokemon. "Who warned you?"

Ho-Oh stands up and walks to Black, whose stomach is still in pain. "Let's get out of here. I'll explain everything when we leave," Ho-Oh transforms into her Pokemon form, bending to allow the two siblings to hop on her back.

Black looks back at Natural, who is still unswayed as to what has happened. "What about him?"

N looks up at Black and is about to say something, when White says, "Let him stay. He might need some time to think, after everything he's heard."

The siblings exit the room, heading down to where their friends are. The two continue until reaching the outside of the castle, where they see Officer Jenny pushing Ghetsis inside of a cop car. As the car speeds off with Alder and Cheren inside, the gym leaders turn to Hilbert with approving looks.

"Way to go, Black!" Burgh says to him.

"Way to think on your feet," Lenora says with a smile.

"Good job," Brycen says.

Iris begins with, "That was pretty cool how you also exposed Ghetsis's plot."

'He still possesses the dragon,' Drayden thinks as he silently glances at Black and noting his black hair and red eyes.

"Hmph. I always reckon t'at two-timin' snake'n da'grass was a liar," Clay retorts while crossing his arms over his chest.

"I knew you could do it! Elesa here was worried sick the whole time," Skyla says, eying her blond friend.

Embarrassed, Elesa turns around and states, "D-Don't be ridiculous, Skyla! Of course Black could handle it. He defeated all of us!"

"Yeah, things are okay now..." Black tells them.

"N...He fled after Ghetsis took over," White lies, hoping to cover for him until he does leave. Despite what he's done, she doesn't want him to suffer for following his dream. It's not really his fault either too.

"Then Reshiram? Where is the legendary dragon?" Drayden asks, coming out of his silence.

"Reshiram-" begins White.

"Reshiram went with him! Isn't that right?" Black lies, knowing White's still upset over everything and being Reshiram's host isn't something she can deal with at the moment, at least publicly.

Elesa though could see something up with the two siblings. She would wait until later to ask what the problem is.

Ho-Oh waits by the sidelines, knowing none of the gym leaders could see or hear her. She herself is busy thinking about what happened to Lucas. 'Lucas...'

Elsewhere...

Lucas and Cheryl approach Lacunosa Town; the ice Pokemon possessed human hasn't a reason to cuff Cheryl's arms as she's followed him voluntarily. Lucas occasionally checks behind him to make sure Cheryl is there, while she continues to stare at him. She hasn't spoken since their arrival, as if something's caught in her throat.

'He was about to kill me... Why didn't he?' Cheryl questions in her mind as she follows him.

Lucas comes before a restaurant called the Red Crawdaunt. Taking Cheryl's hand he heads inside with her. Cheryl gasps at the sudden touch of coldness coming from his hand. But as the coldness fades away, her heart feels a warmness filling her. 'It's cold, but I can still feel Lucas. He's still in there.'

After ordering a table for two the two sit face to face. "So, Cheryl was it? What is your relationship to this body?"

Cheryl remains quiet for a moment before answering sternly, "I love him."

"Really... If only I could remember that feeling," he says, muttering the last part to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing." A waiter comes by to take their order; enticed by Kyurem Cheryl orders the shrimp and grilled chicken while Lucas gets a whole lobster with soup. "It's interesting. How can you really care for this person? Isn't he just using you?"

"Using me?"

"There's a certain feel coming from this person that's pulling you towards him," says the dragon as he awaits his meal. "I don't know why, but it seems to be affecting me as well."

"What are you talking about?" Cheryl asks, confused by what he's saying.

"Whatever is emitting from this person's body has connected you to him, and may be making you 'love' him." Lucas looks off to the side occasionally, awaiting his meal. His attention returns to Cheryl, who is in shock at the moment.

'Does...Does he mean his aura powers? Is he saying Lucas' aura has chained my emotions to him?' That's when she comes to an epiphany; Lucas' aura powers are the secret to his ability to making girls fall in love with him. Putting it all together, it makes so much sense to Cheryl she's feeling afraid. Mikan, Gardenia, Candice, Marley, Mira; all those girls he's met have gotten emotionally close to him because of his powers.

_"When Lucas was younger he had allot of female friends. In fact, he only had two male friends out of the 8 he made when he was in school."_

'Was it back then? Lucas' powers have roped in girls even at a young age...And me?' The realization shocks her to where she slumps back in her seat. 'I...I never...really loved Lucas...at all?'

"About time it got here!" Lucas says, their waiter coming back with their meals. Once the plates are placed on the table Lucas immediately digs in. He also notes she's still frozen. "What? Why so frozen? I can afford this you know."

'No, this can't be! I do love Lucas...do I?' Cheryl sinks further into her seat as she contemplates her predicament.

"Eat. Until I can determine this feeling you gotta stay alive," Lucas says to her between swallows.

"Determine...feelings..." Cheryl's mind focuses on these words as she tries to come out of her depression. Soon the green haired beauty grabs a fork and begins to eat. Midway she musters up the nerve to ask, "Lucas, er, Kyurem, what do you plan to do with me?"

"To taste," he answers, surprising her with his simple response. "I want to devour as much as I can, and live."

"Why? And what does that have to do with Reshiram and Zekrom?"

"When they left I lost everything. The moment those two return I'll be back again, and taste as much of the world as possible." After these words he slurps the meat out of the tail and drops the shell on the plate, finishing his meal.

Cheryl, still eating, looks in amazement as his greed. "Wow. You must have been really hungry."

"This is really delicious... It's so much better now that I can taste..." he says, muttering the last sentence to himself. Lucas then looks up at Cheryl, asking, "You gonna finish that?"

Elsewhere...

Hilbert and Hilda sit face to face at a table in the Pokemon center. So overwhelmed by everything that's happened to eat, Hilbert is sprawled all on the table while Hilda remains sad and quiet.

"Lucas, Cheryl..." Hilbert mumbles as he takes in a deep sigh.

"Hilbert, I think it's about time you told me what happened," says a voice that approaches Hilda from behind. The white trainer turns around to see Elesa, who speaks, "Also, where's Lucas? He was with you at the top, right?"

Ho-Oh, still watching from afar, sighs deeply as she wonders how they'll break it to her. 'Lucas...'

"What's there to say?" Hilbert asks her, still unable to tell anyone what happened.

"Please Hilbert, tell me. We're married, so you can trust me with anything," she says, sitting down between them to near her beloved.

Hilbert takes in a sigh, and says, "Remember when you said Lucas was acting weird, and that there might be a third dragon?"

"...Yes?"

"There was a third dragon, it possessed Lucas, and took him away back at the castle," answers the black protagonist, shocking his blond beauty of a wife. He then goes on to explaining what happened concluding his victory over Natural: Ghetsis revealing his plan, Ho-Oh appearing, Lucas' condition and terms for staying in Unova, his battle with Ghetsis, Reshiram possessing Hilda, Cheryl, and Kyurem taking away Lucas' body along with Cheryl.

As you can tell, Elesa is left in a state of shock, overwhelmed with all this wham hitting her in the face. "Wow... So much going on... So you need to go to this dragon Kyurem and give yourself over to him?"

"That's what he wants..." Hilbert says to her. "If we give over Zekrom and Reshiram we might die, but we can't let Lucas alone. I'll save him even if I have to risk my life!"

"Don't talk like that!" Elesa shouts, gathering his and everyone else in the center's attention. "'Even if you have to risk your life?' How can you think that?~! Your life is just as important as his!"

"Elesa, I can't let him end up like that! Think of all Lucas has done for us!" he says, looking into the blue eyes of the supermodel. "He's your friend too, right?"

Elesa grabs Black by his collar. "Elesa, it's not gonna matter what you say, I-"

She lifts her head to stare at him, revealing sadden, tearful eyes. He finds himself shocked to see her so upset with his decision. She then says, "Do you care so much about your friend that you'll give up your life? Does it not matter to you?"

"That's not true! It's not like I want to die!"

"But you don't take your life seriously!" Elesa drops Hilbert in his seat by releasing him, and falls to her knees on his lap. "Hilbert, you can risk your life all you want, because as long as your friends are safe that's all that matters... Is that what you're thinking?"

"Elesa..."

"Hilbert, I told you before that your life is precious. No one will be happy if you die, least of all me." Elesa lifts her head to look at him upon saying those last lines. Tears begin to form in her eyes. "You promised me you'd be more careful."

"I..." Black pauses for a moment, unable to say anything in response.

"Elesa," White finally says, entering the conversation. "What you say is true...But at the same time we can't ignore this problem. Lucas' life is precious as well, and we can't let him suffer. Besides, Cheryl is captive as well. If we let them die everything they've persevered through will have been meaningless."

"...Hilda..." Elesa gives out a heavy sigh.

"Elesa, I know you care so strongly for Hilbert; I'm actually glad you do." Hilda stands up from her seat to continue. "But it's as he said; if we're the only ones who can do this then we've got a responsibility. We have to go no matter what."

Hilbert places his arms around Elesa in a hug. "Elesa, I promise you. I won't be reckless. We'll save Lucas and Cheryl, and return in one piece."

Elesa narrows her eyes slightly, before placing her arms around him in a hug and saying, "Thank you."

Brushing her hair aside, Hilda smiles to herself watching the couple connect. 'Elesa, you really do love Hilbert. I was actually worried this wouldn't work out.'

Soon they pull apart. "Hey, that reminds me, where's Skyla?" Hilbert asks as he wipes away her tears.

Elesa smiles a little as he dries her eyes, before saying, "Skyla...I told her about the situation, and she has something to tell you."

"Really? What?" he asks, wondering if it's gonna be bad news.

"You might be surprised," she replies, finding herself smiling for only a second.

Tomorrow Morning...

Lucas stretches his arm out to Cheryl, who remains sitting in her bed. "Let's go."

"Why? You know I won't run, so why would you want me to stick with you?" Cheryl asks him.

"So the news of finding out that your love for this person is fake isn't enough to deter you?" he asks her, hitting a nerve.

"Maybe, but Lucas' love for me is real. If he ever found out, he'd be more devastated than me..." her words bring the ice dragon's eyes to widen suddenly. "Besides, what does it matter to you?"

"...Fine, stay here," he says before leaving the building.

As Lucas leaves, Cheryl curls up in her bed and sighs. "Lucas..."

Just outside of Lacunosa Town Black, White, Elesa and Ho-Oh have finally made it. Black then stands before Ho-Oh, saying, "Okay, I think it's time you tell us what happened."

"What are you talking about?" the bird asks.

"Who are you talking to?" Elesa asks, unable to see her.

"What was this boss of yours' plan when he sent Lucas all the way to Unova and erased him from the memories of everyone who cared about him?" White asks.

Ho-Oh sighs. "Arceus was really bitter to humans from an incident long ago, so before she sealed herself away she had me search out for a single human that cared about humans and Pokemon equally to put through a trial; this trial would test his heart and prove to Arceus that humanity is worth keeping around... That's why I picked Lucas, because he was the best example.

"But, when she found out about Cheryl Arceus realized the implications if she would be anywhere near Unova; she was an empath that could talk to Pokemon. That would mark her as a perfect body for Reshiram or Zekrom to resurrect with..."

"So, this Arceus knew that this would happen? She knew what would happen to Cheryl?" Black asks, just to confirm with her.

White then steps in and asks, "But why Unova? Arceus could have chosen any region."

"If she didn't you wouldn't have gained the strength to stop Team Plasma in the first place. Someone needed Lucas' teachings and the power of aura to strengthen a trainer to end Plasma, and Ghetsis; she saw that far ahead and used him," Ho-Oh pauses for a moment before looking away. "Arceus didn't want Kyurem to restore his power and go out of control, and she wouldn't be able to come to Unova to stop him. That's why she removed him from everyone's memories; that way Cheryl would have no reason to seek him out, and Lucas could safely train you. My guess is she didn't realize Hilbert would grow enough to draw the dragon Zekrom to him, or that Cheryl would be drawn in by Team Plasma from Sinnoh."

"That's such a complicated plan. If she hated humanity, she should have went with Team Plasma to separate humans from Pokemon," Hilda tells her.

"I think I understand..." Hilbert says. "She was giving humanity a chance. Maybe she doesn't despise us as much as we believe. She sent Lucas here to give us a chance to prove ourselves, to prove that humans can coexist with Pokemon."

White crosses her arms and makes a 'hm' noise. "I don't know. That sounds totally complicated for me."

'Because you're a human," Ho-Oh thinks.

Elesa gives out a sigh, being the only one unable to understand Ho-Oh. "So...we ready to save them?"

"Huh? Oh, right!" Hilbert says, turning around to face the town. Out from it exists to their shock Lucas, or Kyurem as Lucas. "You!"

"Oh, you're here faster than I thought. So, you've made your decision?" Lucas asks the black protagonist.

"...Actually, I have." Black steps forward and gulps. With all his confidence he says, "I've decided to reason with you."

Everyone gives out a surprised, "What?"

"I've done some thinking, and I've come to the conclusion that we don't need to fight, and no one needs to die." The electric, black protagonist extends his hand out to the ice dragon, who remains motionless as he stares at Black.

"...Are you messing with me? How can you just expect me to me all nice and friendly when I need you two to die to fully revive?-!" questions the irritated ice dragon. His right arm transforms into an ice dragon claw as he reaches out to grip Black by the neck.

"Hilbert!" Elesa immediately runs up to him.

"Stay there!" Kyurem warns her back into place, his claws digging into Hilbert's neck. Elesa freezes in place. She fears taking even a step back knowing any movement could result in his death.

"You talked about how you want to fully revive. Why do you want to do that?" Black manages to ask.

"Because I have to. I have no interest living like this, living as a cold empty being..." he says to him, glaring his golden eyes at the boy. "Do you really think I like being what I am?"

"What is he talking about?" White asks.

"...I get it now... You don't possess any senses," says Hilbert.

White and Elesa glance at eachother in shock. "What?"

"You can't feel any of the senses a Pokemon does. Is that right?" Kyurem pauses for a moment before releasing the black protagonist.

"...True. What you say is right..." Kyurem says as he turns away. "It really bites when you can't enjoy anything you do. When Zekrom and Reshiram left they took everything from me; my soul, my powers, my senses... Without a soul I can't feel anything...

"When Lucas was given my body he was passed on my condition...It's sad not having a soul, being unable to feel alive... Sight is darkened, sound is distorted, smell is null, touch is cold, and everything tastes like chewed up gum; these are symptoms you two are feeling the opposite of, since you possess my senses.

"But I'm surprised you realized that," says the dragon to Hilbert.

"I noticed Lucas was acting strange back when he was in your body. He kept rubbing his eyes, he hardly paid attention to certain things, and he faked enjoying meals. Also, he seemed cold all the time." Hilbert's words cause Hilda to pound her right fist in her left palm, realizing that he's right.

"Even so, that doesn't change the fact that I have to take back both pieces of my soul," Kyurem says as he points his clawed index finger at Black.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go through with it. As long as Lucas is with you you can enjoy those senses, right? You don't need to kill us." Hilbert states.

Kyurem slowly turns around to face the humans to say, "But if I take back my soul, then your friend can return to being human and enjoy life to his fullest until the day he dies," and then raises his hand to continue with, "without this happening to either of you."

His other hand transforms into a dragon claw, which he uses to extend out to grab Hilbert's and Hilda's throat. Elesa shouts, "Hilbert! Hilda!"

"Itadakimass!" Kyurem's left arm turns white as it absorbs Zekrom's power while his right arm turns black as it absorbs Reshiram's power.

"STOP!" Cheryl comes running in and drop kicks Kyurem from behind, forcing him to let go of the twins.

The twins fall to their knees, holding their throats in pain. Kyurem picks himself up to his feet and stares back at Cheryl. "You!"

"Stop this, Kyurem!" she demands of the ice dragon.

"Hilbert! Hilda!" Elesa runs to Hilbert's side, pulling him back to Hilda and away from Kyurem.

"Why do you still care? You don't really love this person, do you?" Kyurem says as a reminder.

Cheryl runs up to Kyurem and hugs him. "I don't care if it's real or not. If it wasn't I wouldn't be able to do this."

Cheryl places her lips onto Kyurem's, er, Lucas' mouth, kissing him as best as she could. In shock the others could only watch as Cheryl kisses her possessed boyfriend. Kyurem, surprisingly, couldn't find himself to push her off or even harm her. He just kisses her back for a while, before they both pull away.

Kyurem stares into Cheryl's eyes, his cold, yellow glow having disappeared and replaced with a blue flare. Cheryl, with a blush on her face, mutters, "Lucas?"

All of a sudden Lucas' body falls into Cheryl's arms. "Lucas!"

"Lucas!" Hilbert runs up to his friend.

The two lay the Sinnoh champion flat on his back, who begins breathing at a slow rate. After a few moments Lucas opens his eyes. Everyone remains on guard in case it's Kyurem, but when he says, "What smells like honey," they smile happily knowing that Lucas has come back to them.

"Lucas!" Cheryl reaches down and hugs her beloved, tears freely falling from her eyes from the happiness of knowing he's okay.

"He's okay..." Hilbert whispers with a sigh. The black protagonist falls to his knees, glad that Lucas is safe and sound. "Thank goodness... The conflict was resolved without anyone getting hurt..."

Elesa smiles after listening to her husband. 'Hilbert...'

"How you feeling Lucas?" Hilda asks him.

Lucas looks up at Hilda, and then her brother, before bowing down shamefully. "I'm sorry guys. I tried to keep it a secret from you, but I didn't think it would turn out so serious...You almost died because of me."

"It's okay. We're friends afterall," Hilbert says, reaching out to help the pre-aura guardian up.

"So what happened to Kyurem? Is he in your body still?" Hilda asks.

"I don't know...I don't feel cold anymore, and I can see and hear you guys clearly now." Lucas tests his other senses by smelling the air, and then licking his arm. After tasting his salty arm he could tell he's okay now. "YES! I'm okay again!"

"That's great!" Cheryl gives Lucas another hug.

The twins take a moment looking around, and Hilbert asks, "Where's Ho-Oh?"

"She's here too?" Cheryl asks angrily.

"She was, but she must have left a moment ago." Hilda reasons.

"Well, now that everything's back to normal, I suggest we head for Opelucid," Elesa says as she glances at Hilbert. "Skyla's waiting for us there, Hilbert."

As the humans leave and rejoice over Lucas' return, not too far away a ghostly apparition materializes in the real world. This person resembles Lucas in size, clothing and color. But while his appearance resembles him, this Lucas has a scar on his right cheek and gray hair. "Damn. Why did that girl have to ruin it? His aura powers somehow rejected me when she kissed him."

He takes a moment to observe Cheryl, noting how close she is to Lucas despite what she's been told. At that moment Kyurem's thoughts go back to the kiss, where he says, "Eh, whatever. I guess I don't need to be in his body for the moment. I have enough of Zekrom and Reshiram to enjoy a little bit of life, until I need to take real action.

"Besides...for some reason...I feel fulfilled all of a sudden..." Kyurem makes a silent exit, retreating from Lacunosa Town without a single trace. Before he could completely vanish he comes face to face before legendary phoenix Ho-Oh. "You?"

"This is surprising," she says as she glares at the dragon. "I didn't expect any of this to happen."

"That last part wasn't in the plan actually... Interesting how aura guardians are," Kyurem says to the phoenix.

"What do you plan to do now that you have portions of the dragon's energy back inside of you?" Ho-Oh asks Kyurem.

"Take a nap probably. I've had enough enjoyment for one day. Thanks for your help, Ho-Oh." Kyurem walks off while taking out an ice-cream bar.

Ho-Oh sighs as she watches Kyurem walk off. 'I don't feel right using Lucas and Cheryl to revive those two, but atleast no one was killed.'

Later That Day...

"Come on, Lucas! Let's sing!" Cheryl says, standing up from her seat as she takes her lover's hand to the stand.

"Ah! I didn't ask for this!" Lucas states.

"And now, a young couple will be playing an old hit; High Touch!" says the announcer as the song plays. Cheryl takes the mike as the words go by on the screen.

"Kenka nakanaori mata kenka  
Iitai koto ippai aru kedo  
Ichiban wa...  
'Itekurete arigatou!'"

As she sings, Lucas takes the mike and flicks on the speaker part.

"Tabi wa michitsure yo wa nasake  
Wakatta you na kao shiteru kedo  
Hontou wa...  
'Itekurete ureshii!'"

"Nice partner!" Cheryl sings.

"Nice rival!" Lucas adds.

"Oshite ageru yo."

"Hippatte ageru."

"Miageru taiyou nandaka mabushikute!" They sing together now. White and Black watch the two sing, and can't help but feel happy for them.

"Umaku ittara hai tacchi!  
Hekonjattemo motodoori!  
Isssho naraba!"

"Akirameru no wa hayai ze, go go go!" Lucas sings this himself.

Everyone begins to join in with clapping, including Elesa and Hilbert.

"Umakuittara hai tacchi!  
Batoru aite to hando shekku  
Issho naraba,"

"Motto tooku ni ikeru ze, go go go!" Lucas sings this by himself.

All together they say, "Go, go, go! Go, go, go!"

The audience claps as the duet ends, and Lucas and Cheryl exit the stage. Cheryl grasps hold of Lucas' hand as they return to their friends. In her mind she couldn't help but think, 'Even though I may be affected by his aura, I don't care. He loves me, and he's proven it so many times. I won't be jealous anymore, and I won't mind if his aura draws in others like Jasmine. If Jasmine still wants to be with him, I won't stop her. I will accept Lucas and this aura magnetism in my life.'

"That was pretty good. I didn't know you could sing," Hilda says to the diamond protagonist.

"I've been alone for over 2 years, so I had to keep myself from getting bored allot," he confesses with a smile.

"Hey guys!" Skyla calls out, running up to the group. "Elesa! Hilbert!"

"Ah, Skyla." Elesa sits up from her seat as her friend approaches. Skyla comes up to Hilbert with a smile.

Skyla takes Hilbert's hand and says, "Thank you for standing up to Team Plasma and stopping Ghetsis."

"It's no problem. I couldn't let him get away with what he was doing," he replies with a smile.

"I also heard that we're married, right?" she asks, bringing a shock to Cheryl.

"You're what?"

"Yeah, I am to you and Elesa," he says, shocking the green haired woman even more.

"You can marry more than one partner here?"

"Well, I hate to say this to you, but I have even more shocking news for you..." Skyla stares deep in Hilbert's eyes, bringing a blush to his face as she nears him. "I'm gonna have your baby."

Lucas, Cheryl and Hilda back away in total shock at her words. Really, no accurate description could precisely detail how surprised they were. Hilbert on the other hand hasn't made any facial expression, or changes, when he heard the news. He remains this way until he falls backwards.

Skyla pulls him back up, before smiling and saying, "Just kidding!"

Hilbert comes out of his broken state and says, "Huh?"

"EH?"

"I'm not pregnant! I never thought I'd get to mess with someone by saying that," she says, releasing Hilbert's hands and running her gloved hands through her hair.

Hilbert falls to his knees and gives a deep exhale. "Oh god! I don't think my heart can go down anymore."

"I'm sorry Hilbert, but she made me go through with it," Elesa says as she helps her husband up.

"But what about the marriage? Don't you want to divorce?" asks the black protagonist.

"Actually, I don't mind at all. If I go through with it I can take a leave off from the gym and focus on my piloting career," Skyla says as she crosses her arms under her chest.

'...That's a dumb idea!' Lucas and Cheryl think in unison.

"Don't bother trying to understand Skyla. She's not an airhead, but she says the weirdest things...And you're not staying married to my husband!" Elesa grabs Skyla by her arms, who breaks out.

"Oh, don't be so selfish," Skyla says with a grin. Taking a moment to look at how hurt Elesa looks, she sighs and says, "Oh fine. We'll get an annulment."

'What's wrong with the people in this region?-!' Cheryl thinks as she holds tightly onto Lucas.

Tomorrow...

Hilbert opens his eyes as daylight hits. He looks forward into the sleeping face of the shining beauty, smiling as he finds himself caressing her face. "She looks so beautiful..."

"Of course you would think that," Skyla says from behind, shocking the black protagonist.

"Gah!" Hilbert slips out of bed with Elesa in his arms, unintentionally waking her up. Hilbert immediately rises up, glares at Skyla and shouts, "What the hell?"

"Sorry!" she says childishly. "That was too hard to pass up."

Black helps Elesa up onto the bed, who blushes slightly while looking at him. "Thanks, Black."

"No problem. We are married, after all," replies the black protagonist.

Elesa leans forward to give him a kiss, but is stopped when he places a hand on her shoulder. "That reminds me... We may have to talk to my mom about this."

"Oh? Your mother?" Elesa places her hands on the sides of her cheeks, embarrassed when she realizes how his family will react. She's an adult so as long as she explains to her family they'll be okay, but she forgot about his mother. 'Crap, I can't believe I didn't think of her reaction...Still, I don't regret the decision.'

"Now that everything's over I would like to tell her about you," Hilbert says as he muses over his mother's reaction. Sure, Hilda is cool about it, but it's totally different for someone as overprotective as their mom.

"We'll just explain it to her that we're dating. She'll understand," Elesa says to her husband.

"How am I gonna explain our marriage though?" Hilbert asks himself.

Elesa bites her bottom lip. "I guess, we don't have to tell her right away."

Skyla sighs. 'Elesa, so sneaky...'

Back with Lucas and Cheryl, they're still sleeping silently in their rooms. Eventually Lucas opens his eyes, staring at the beautiful face she possesses. He caresses her face with both hands, his heart overwhelmed with feeling because he can feel her now. 'Thank goodness. I'll always be grateful for what I have.'

"Mm," Cheryl mumbles as she begins to wake up. Her eyes, as they adjust, stare lovingly into his clear gray. "Lucas, good morning."

"Good morning," he says, before she leans in and kisses him. His heart flutters more being able to feel her lips. They come apart and rise up, and after changing they head for the others.

Hilda awakes in her lone room, giving out a deep sigh. "Lucas is okay, me and Black are alive, Team Plasma is gone, and Cheryl's reunited with him. Everything's okay now, except...me and him still have dragons inside of us and N's gone... "

Her heart lowers as she thinks over Natural's situation. "I hope N's okay..."

After getting dressed she reunites with Hilbert and the others. They head for the mess hall portion of the center to eat. With crepes, omelets, pancakes and honey in their stomachs they prepare to head out.

Skyla pats Hilbert on the back and says, "Good luck with your mother, Hilbert...er, Black...uh, why do you have two names?"

"Black is a nickname I got when I was a kid. Apparently it's something people see in me," he replies with shrug.

"Really? You look more like a yellow than a black," she says, angering the black protagonist.

"HEY!" Skyla immediately calms him down with a quick peck to the lips.

"Just kidding! Bye guys!" And with that, Skyla takes off with a skip and a hop.

Hilbert places a hand on his lips, finding himself unable to hide his blush after that kiss. Elesa lightly punches him in the kidney, but such a hit brings him down to his knees. "Don't enjoy it!"

'Wow...Is that how I'm like?' Cheryl wonders as she watches Elesa's jealousy get the better of her.

"So how we getting home?" Hilda asks the others.

"Don't worry. I'll call out a Pokemon and we'll fly back," Lucas says as he returns to the Pokemon center.

Once he leaves Cheryl begins to ponder, "I wonder how Miss Johanna, or Riley and Cynthia will react..."

"I wonder if there are flying pokemon I can catch nearby..." Hilbert checks his Pokedex, and grins when he spots a Pokemon called Braviary. 'This looks interesting.'

"I'm back!" Lucas says as he returns with his new team. "Oh yeah, I spoke with Rowan. Turns out Riley and Cynthia are coming here in Unova."

"They are?" Cheryl asks.

"Who?" Hilbert asks.

'Former Sinnoh champions Cynthia and Riley? They're coming?-!' Elesa asks herself in shock.

"Yup," he replies, answering Cheryl's response. "Anyway, I took out Tropius and Pidgeot. So I guess four people can get a ride."

"That's okay. I'll use Gerdus," Hilda says, holding up Golurk's ball.

Lucas sends out Tropius and Pidgeot, leaving him and Cheryl to board the former while Hilbert and Elesa ride the latter. In the skies they fly using Black's directions to Nuvema Town, until White rockets past them on Gerdus. Within two hours they finally reach the town, landing right before the twins' home.

After retrieving their Pokemon, Black and White open the door. In they step, and in unison they say, "Mom, we're ba-"

But they couldn't finish when their mother comes running up to them out of nowhere. "Hilbert! Hilda!"

"Uh, mom?" Black couldn't get more out when his mother glares at him.

"Would you like to tell me why you decided to hang up on your mother?" she asks in an aggravated tone.

"Uh..." Black moves behind White and says, "Your turn!"

"What?-!"

"What did you two do? And who are those people?" she asks them, now looking at the three behind them.

"Oh, these are our friends," Hilda begins, gesturing to the three of them in order. "The guy with gray on is Lucas, the lady in green is Cheryl, and that's Elesa. She's Nimbasa's gym leader and Hilbert's sweetheart."

"S-Sweetheart?" repeats his mom in shock. "Her?"

"What?" Hilbert asks.

"It's nice to meet you, miss Hakumei," Elesa says as she moves forward to offer her hand.

Elsewhere...

An airplane arrives at Undella Airport. The passengers exit in an orderly fashion, including one Riley and one Cynthia. The two head for the nearest villa and book a room. Afterwards, Riley holds out a Pokeball and summons a field of aura over his palm.

"Now, where is Lucas?" he asks himself as he tries to track the young champion. He picks up a reading far off south. "Found him."

"I'll stay here. Maybe you can find out why we remembered him all of a sudden," Cynthia says as she lays their luggage on the ground.

Riley sends out Salamence and hops on, taking off for Nuvema guided by his aura. "Lucas...Now that I think about it, I never taught him how to keep his aura from latching onto others... I'll teach him when I find him."

* * *

Kenshin: That ends this chapter.

Manabu: Next chapter is the last. Lucas and Hilbert face eachother and then the Unova Champion. Natural returns to give his goodbyes and a spoiler appears.


	14. Chapter 14

**Journal Entry 14: The Gray Epilogue**

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon.

* * *

_Last Time..._

_Last time, Lucas ends his battle with Ghetsis, but his secret is exposed when Kyurem reveals himself. Thanks to Cheryl and her love for Lucas Kyurem leaves and everything's back to normal, sort of. The group now returns Nuvema town, where Black's and White's mother resides._

Cheryl, Black, Elesa, Lucas, and White are all sitting at a circular table before their mother. Said mother is currently twitching in shock upon seeing her son's female friends.

'Okay, just calm down. So Hilbert has a girlfriend...You knew this was coming,' she thinks as she strains to remain calm. "S-So, how long have you three known my children?"

"I've only recently met them," Cheryl says truthfully.

"I met Black when we were in Accumula Town," Lucas says.

"I ran into both Lucas and Black in Striaton," Elesa says, etching herself closer to Black's.

His mother notices and tenses a bit. 'Is she the reason they were in those pictures?'

"I would like to say it's a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Hakumei," says Elesa before holding out her hand.

She takes hold of her hand and shakes. "A pleasure as well..."

"That reminds me," White says before looking to Lucas. "What do you plan to do now? Go back to Sinnoh?"

"I guess I might have to," he says with a smile. "I miss mom and the others. Plus I gotta see how Cynthia, Riley and Jasmine are doing."

"That's right. I need to speak to Jasmine as well," Cheryl says suddenly, as if it just suddenly came to mind.

"Why do you need to speak to Jasmine?" Lucas asks curiously. He assumes it's about that deal she made with her back then that Jasmine couldn't keep.

"Oh...Just need to talk to her," she replies. 'He probably doesn't know yet.'

Some time passes, with the twins' mother still a little ecstatic over the many people who have come with her children, especially the beautiful supermodel Elesa. When someone like that is your son's first girlfriend you can't help but feel a little suspicious. By now Black heads upstairs while his mom goes to make a phone call.

As the heated water of the bath burns away his fatigue and trouble, Black lays back with a content sigh. As he remains quiet, he thinks over how his mother acted. 'It's nice to be back, but maybe I'm giving mom trouble. I guess I should have told her about me and Elesa, and not hung up on her back then...'

"I'm coming in!" Lucas enters the bath, surprising the black protagonist.

"What are you doing? Get out!" Black shouts at him.

"I might as well take a bath. Besides, there's two," he says, pointing to the second bath not too far from him. He turns on the water and begins to pour in soap and girly relaxers.

"Why don't you take a bath with Cheryl?" asks Black.

"We haven't reached that level yet," he says to him, prompting Black to snicker a bit. "What's so funny?-!"

"You've been together longer than me and Elesa and you still haven't done it? How lame."

"Shut up! You have no right saying that!" Lucas enters the bath, but cries out when he realizes it's too hot.

"At least me and Elesa did it," he whispers.

"I heard that! And that was a fluke!"

"I'm telling you, it's a bad idea!" Cheryl says to Elesa as the two of them enter the bath with White.

"We'll be fine. It's not like Black is a peeping to-" White stops mid sentence when she sees her brother and Lucas half naked in baths.

"Get out!" the two boys shout in unison.

"Ah, Black's here," Elesa says. With a grin she walks towards him, adjusts her towel, and steps into the bath saying, "I guess I'll take this one-"

"NO!" White pulls Elesa out of the bath.

"Didn't you see us coming in first?" Lucas asks.

"Oh right, like we would have come in if we knew you were in here," Cheryl retorts. Her eyes glance to Elesa and the others before she says, "Well, I might have if you were here alone, but that's it."

"I thought you were willing to wait."

"Cheryl, you get out of the bathroom too!" White says, shouting to the green woman.

"Why don't you all get out?-!" Black shouts.

"Don't talk to me like that!"

"White, let go! I'm about to fall!" Elesa slips on the wet floor, knocking off her towel and White's as well. Both Black and Lucas gain nosebleeds upon seeing the two naked, more on Elesa for Black's case.

White screams out as Cheryl covers Lucas' eyes. The white protagonist then throws a bar of soap along with other essentials at Lucas.

"How is it my fault? Isn't it nice for our boy to have a girlfriend?" says a voice through a telephone. On the phone is Hilbert's mother with his father.

"You didn't teach him how to deal with women, and I feel he might do something reckless and-"

"I'm gonna pound you so hard you'll lose all your memories!" shouts White as she chases Lucas, both half naked. This interruption causes the mom to turn blue.

"New situation! One of his friends has gotten to Hilda and-"

"White, leave him alone!" Cheryl shouts as she chases after White, struggling to put on her undergarments. Her jaw drops seeing this.

"SEX EDUCATION! OUR CHILDREN NEED SEXUAL EDUCATION!-!" she shouts into the phone.

"Wait, White! It was an accident!" Hilbert says as he pulls his pants on. Elesa straightens her bra and panties on as well as they run after the three just ahead.

With this much excitement, the poor mother collapses unconscious. 'What's happened to my poor babies?'

After White beats the crap out of Lucas, she calms down enough to forgive him. That's when they notice Zelda Hakumei has passed out.

Now, as she lies in her bed, Black and Lucas continue with their bath. "Is it me, or are things going to be like this allot?"

"Sometimes I wonder how my life would have turned out if I didn't become a trainer," Lucas says before dipping his head in the soapy water.

"Hey, can you scrub my back?" Hilbert asks when he emerges.

"Hell no. Go ask your wife to do it."

After their bath, Lucas and Hilbert exit and allow the girls to go in. Hilbert goes to check on his mother while Lucas rubs grime off his legs. That's when the door knocks; Lucas changes into pants and opens the door, revealing Riley. "R-Riley? Riley!"

"Hey Lucas, how goes it?" he asks with a smile, tossing a hand out to him. Lucas grabs hold and shakes, and both could feel a tug of aura from the other. "I see your aura has gotten stronger, and you've grown more too."

"Yeah. It's great to see you again..." Lucas says with a smile. "I'm guessing you're here for me, right?"

"I can assume you're hiding something from us," he says, entering the home and searching out for the living room. "What really happened?"

'Can't hide anything from him...' "Well, here's the thing." Lucas tells Riley of the true events that led to him being trapped in Unova. He also explains what happened to Cheryl, the events going on, and him being a Pokemon vessel.

"I see. You've really been through allot." Riley gives out a sigh as he takes it all in. "I guess you couldn't have told us either, or else we'd just forget."

"Yeah... Did you happen to meet mom before coming here?" Lucas asks him.

"Unfortunately, me and Cynthia came here first. She's at Undella Town waiting for us to return," he says to him before lifting his head up. "Where is Cheryl anyway? She here?"

"Yes."

"Whose house is this anyway?"

"Hilbert's and Hilda's." Lucas points upstairs. "They're twins I befriended while I was here. They're kinda fun to hang around."

"That's good." As they talk Cheryl leaves the bathroom with a towel on, hearing their conversation. Happy to hear his voice again she rushes down. "Lucas, there's something I have to talk to you about actually."

"What is it?" Lucas asks, adjusting his seat.

"It's about your aura powers." Hearing this she stops. Because she has a strong feeling it has something to do with his pull on women, she remains hidden to eavesdrop.

"What's wrong?"

"You probably haven't noticed this, and maybe I should have trained you to control this power better... It's just that, with Team Galactic around I focused on teaching you attacks and implementing your aura into your Pokemon to make them stronger. I never really had time to teach you the rest, including this." As he speaks, Lucas begins to worry that it might be a truly serious thing. "There's a certain trait that aura guardians have that has been appearing in recent times; the ability to latch their aura onto humans."

"What's wrong with that?"

"An aura guardian's aura can only latch onto a member of the opposite sex," he says, causing the young trainer to lift his eyebrows. "The aura causes the person it's attached to to become amorous towards the guardian; they fall in love with them."

"...What?"

"The aura inside of us wants to continue to further generations, so to that end it'll draw forth the women around them to make sure we produce an heir." At that moment Lucas is hit with an epiphany; Cheryl has been jealous of him attracting several women, because he's been doing exactly that.

'So, all this time...I've been drawing in women without realizing it? Who could I have affected? Jasmine? Dawn? Marley? Ch...Cheryl?' Lucas drops his head and begins to sulk as this information enters his mind. "So...possibly every girl I've met...Even Cheryl could be...She never really loved me."

"That's not really true," Riley says, bringing Lucas out of his depression. Cheryl gives a warm smile upon hearing that. "While it's true that Cheryl has been affected, I do know that it wouldn't have attached to her if she didn't have feelings for you in the first place."

"Y-Yeah?" This cheers him up a little.

"Aura only latches onto women that have gained some form of attraction to the guardian. That's as much as I can believe, because it's obvious that not every woman you've been around has been attracted to you." Riley's words make Lucas think even more about who else might be affected. "But you have to be careful who you use your powers around and how you interact with others."

"...So does this mean you have this problem too?" Lucas asks his sempai. At this moment White and Elesa exit the bathroom and hear the conversation. Black, having left his room to see who was at the door, has been listening for a while.

Riley lifts his hat up and sighs. "I do. Unfortunately when I met Cynthia we spent a lot of time together after her loss, and it was probably then that she fell for me. But I did possess feelings for her, so when I explained it to her I felt relieved when she accepted me and my powers. Of course, there were others who were affected too, like Maylene."

'That makes sense...' "...Still, is there a way to control this power?" Lucas asks him. "You said that you regretted not teaching me fully because of Galactic, right?"

"Yes, but to do so you'll have to become a true aura guardian. You will become my apprentice and join our corps, help search out others like us and save people in need. You've been alone for over 2 years trying to get a better grasp of your powers, but even now you're still struggling. If you decide to truly tamper your strength you must commit." Riley holds his hand out to Lucas. "Will you join?"

Lucas takes a moment to pause, thinking about the decision. "I've always focused on being a Pokemon trainer, and being champion gives me some tough responsibilities. But if I don't become a guardian then I'll only hurt Cheryl more. I won't ignore this and lie to Cheryl; I'll be more honest. So I accept."

Lucas reaches his hand up and shakes with Riley. That's when the sound of clapping goes off nearby. Black comes out of hiding and says, "Good luck Lucas!"

"Eh?" The diamond protagonist turns around to see White and Elesa have shown up too.

"Well said," White says.

"You're more honest than you think, and we're not the only ones who think so," Elesa says before she finishes clapping.

Cheryl then comes out of hiding, and approaches Lucas. "C-Cheryl? You heard all that too?"

"She heard everything we said," Riley tells him to his shock. "I didn't tell you because I wanted them to know as well."

Cheryl takes Lucas' other hand and holds it up. "Lucas, I'm glad that you're going through with this. I just want you to know that I'll be with you no matter what, no matter who loves you as well."

"You...You're not mad, or upset?" he asks with a perplexed expression.

She smiles. "Of course not. Kyurem told me your powers were affecting me, but I didn't care. My feelings for you are how I honestly feel, and most importantly your feelings are real too. Knowing how you really feel for me is enough for me to accept this burden.

"Besides, if I'm going to love you I should also be your friend too, and you can't be friends with someone unless you accept them for who they are, no matter what traits they may have weighing them down."

"Well said, Cheryl," Riley says with a smile.

"So, who's your friend Lucas?" Black asks.

"Oh, this is Riley, fellow aura guardian, my own mentor, and former Sinnoh Champion," explains the young aura guardian.

"Former champion, huh?" asks the fiery white protagonist.

"Wow, so you could be as strong as Alder," mutters the black protagonist.

"It's good to meet you," speaks the beautiful blond supermodel.

"Hello." Riley waves to them. His eyes scan over Black and his sister, feeling a strong sort of aura coming from their bodies. 'What's this I'm feeling? It's like a Pokemon's, but there's an imbalance.'

"So when do you want to go to Sinnoh?" asks Cheryl of her boyfriend.

"I guess tomorrow."

"Then you can come with me. Cynthia will be glad to see you." Riley heads for the front door. "I'll be waiting outside."

"Well, I'm gonna get dressed," Elesa says as she heads for White's room. "Black's going too, right?"

"How did she know?" he asks in shock.

"Before we go make sure your mom's okay," Lucas says to the black protagonist before he heads upstairs to get changed.

"I'm going too," White adds.

Soon everyone gets changed into proper clothes, and Black checks up on his mother. "Mom? You still asleep?"

His mother struggles herself await, her eyes staring into her son. "Hilbert?"

"Me, Hilda and the guys are heading out to Undella Town," he says to her.

"What?"

"We should return soon. Don't wait up!" He heads out the door, leaving her lying in bed reaching out to him.

"Mom's okay," Hilbert says to the others.

"Let's get moving then." Lucas, Hilbert, Hilda and Riley send out their flying types to get going. Golurk, Salamence, Tropius, and Archeops head for Undella Town. They land before the beach and return their Pokemon, before Riley leads them to the hotel he and Cynthia are staying.

After entering the hotel, and smiling at the awe everyone had seeing the fancy place, he brings them to his room. Inside his beautiful wife and former Sinnoh Champion greets him with a hug. "Riley, welcome back!"

"It's only been a few-" she silences him with a kiss, which he returns easily. Elesa and White blush seeing this while the boys shrug and sigh.

The two part ways, where Cynthia finally notices Lucas. "Ah, Lucas! It's so great to see you again!"

"Yeah, nice to see you too." Cynthia comes up and hugs the diamond protagonist. For once Cheryl watches the two and didn't grow angry at all. After they separate Lucas asks, "How have things been going for you?"

"Well, because you were gone I had to retake my title as champ, and that cut allot in my personal time with Riley," she explains, causing Lucas to feel guilty.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Now that you're back you can take over the title," says the blond beauty, who takes a moment to ruffle his hair up. Her eyes glance over to Hilbert, Elesa and Hilda. "Elesa?"

"Hello. I've heard allot about you, Cynthia." Elesa gives off a weak smile before thrusting her hand out.

As Cynthia shakes, her eyes go back to the others. "And they are?"

"That's Hilbert, my apprentice. The other is his sister Hilda," Elesa says releasing her hand and moving closer to Hilbert.

"Well what are you all standing around for? You can come sit down you know," Riley tells them. Embarrassed, the group of five enter the room and situate themselves.

Cynthia comes to the group with a tray of smoothies she prepared while Riley was gone. Everyone grabs a cup and drinks, with White saying, "This is so delicious! Pina colada!"

Hilbert prepares to take another sip, when memories of what Skyla told him rush back to the front of his head. "...Yeah, no..."

"This is a nice place," Lucas says as he looks out the window. He could see a pair of trainers battling.

"I would really love to stay here, but then the villa you left us might feel empty," Cynthia says before she finishes her smoothie, without suffering brain freeze. "Plus all the research would pile up."

"Research?" Hilbert asks.

"Still studying ruins?" Lucas asks.

"Of course!" With the day passing by they manage to use their time watching television and going out to the beach. The group enjoy a luau, a water Pokemon surfing contest, and viewing the beautiful sunset. At the end of the day they head up to Cynthia and Riley's room, save the couples Lucas and Cheryl and Hilbert and Elesa.

The black protagonist approaches his wife and interlocks hands with her as they walk along the nearshore of the beach. The setting sun reflects beautifully off the water to provide a true romantic setting. The saltwater splashes onto their feet, tingling Elesa and accidentally causing her to grip Hilbert tighter.

The two come to a stop, with Black turning Elesa around so they would face one another. He says, "Elesa, tomorrow's the last time we'll see Lucas for a while and I want to have a battle with him."

"Oh, and why are you coming to me with this?" asks the blond starlet.

"Because I want you to train me and my Pokemon to make new strategies. Lucas has seen all of my tricks and I've seen none of his." His words bring Elesa to go 'oh', before nodding in agreement.

"Okay, we'll train. Do you know what Pokemon to use?"

"I've already decided not to use Zekrom or Victini, so I'll be using my team and one other." Elesa smiles before giving him a kiss.

"Just remember to keep a clear mind. I'm sure he'll be planning ahead, but just remember you have to remain calm and watch your mistakes," she says before kissing him some more. Hilbert kisses back, starting a makeout session that causes them to fall onto the sandy shore. This heated display soon escalates as their tongues begin to dance in eachother's mouths. Elesa's hands snake down where his shorts are before rubbing them.

Hilbert opens his eyes, surprised when she touched him there, but her tongue keeps him from stopping her. He soon gets into it as well, sliding his hands up her bikini and fondling her breasts. Electricity sparks from his hands and lightly shocks her, causing her eyes to go wide and her heart to skip a beat before she starts getting serious. That electric activity starts a stirring in her lower belly that causes her to moan between kisses. Before things could rise any further an incoming wave splashes onto them, dumping on their parade like rain.

Coming to their senses the two pick themselves up, blushing and staring into the other's eyes for the longest silent moment of their lives. Eventually Elesa breaks the silence by taking his hand. "Sorry about that. I just got carried away..."

"It's okay. I did too..." he replies, retuning a smile. "Elesa, about Skyla, is it really necessary that she and I annul?"

"Eh?" Her eyes stare into his eyes hoping to find him joking, but fails seeing his eyes are serious. "But why? Why would you want to be married to her?"

"Well, White keeps saying I'm too dense to notice a girl's feelings, so I thought what if she has feelings for me like you?" retorts the black protagonist.

"How can you want to be with Skyla? Aren't I enough for you?" she asks, feeling like her heart wants to tear apart.

Hilbert shakes his head. "It's not that." He places his hands on her shoulders. "It's just, what with Lucas and these aura guardians around maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I could take care of two girls too. I mean, if he can do it so can I."

Elesa removes his hands. "But you're not Lucas! You're Hilbert, a Pokemon trainer, a 15 year old, the sweetest man I've ever been with, and host to Zekrom! You don't have to do this to compare to him!"

Hilbert frowns. "What makes you think it's about him? I just don't think she really wants to be separated from me like that."

Elesa sighs. "Hilbert...I'll tell you what, if it's her then I can probably make an exception. If she can prove herself, if she doesn't try to take advantage of you, if she doesn't steal your attention from me, then I'll consider it."

Hilbert smiles before hugging her. "Atta girl! I knew you cared about Skyla."

'He might be on to something about her feelings though, but I always thought he was too dense to notice such things...Must have been Zekrom who told him that.'

With Lucas and Cheryl they're currently in their own makeout session. Cheryl has pulled Lucas on top of her and hits the sand, wrapping her legs around his waist.

"Ooh, Lucas!" she moans, her tongue slipping in and out of his mouth the moment they start really getting into it. The tongue action ceases long enough for them to give eachother a passionate kiss; deep seeded love starts to surface through their kiss. Their parting produces a bridge of saliva, and Cheryl's eyes flash blue for a moment.

In the end a wave comes in and splashes them, ruining their moment. The couple end up rising from the sandy shore, both wet from the wave that gave them cold showers. Cheryl groans and whines a bit. 'Stupid wave! We were so close: the mood, the setting, it was all perfect for sex!'

"You're disappointed that the moment's gone, right?" he asks her, making the poor girl flinch. Blushing, Cheryl rubs her head sheepishly. "It's okay. We'll have plenty of time now that all our troubles are over...Although my training may get in the way."

"I don't mind; a time will come for us, I guess..." she replies, kissing him on the cheek. "Lucas, about tomorrow..."

"Yeah, I'll face Black and we'll return to Sinnoh...which reminds me..." Lucas grabs hold of Cheryl's left hand. "Cheryl, I want to trade Pokemon with you."

"Eh?" This is a reasonable reaction. Even when they were traveling back in Sinnoh, Johto and Kanto she doesn't remember him considering trading with anyone.

"I've realized that I've grown a little stale in my techniques. I can't focus on my same sweeper strategy forever; I need a new face," he tells her, crossing his arms under his chest.

Tomorrow Morning...

Out by the beach both Lucas and Hilbert stand at opposite ends, facing eachother with stern looks. On the sidelines Cynthia, Cheryl, Elesa and White are all watching intently.

"It might be a little unfair on Lucas' end. He hasn't trained his Pokemon in almost 3 years," Cynthia says before crossing her arms under her chest.

"Let's not count out your replacement yet. He's strong when backed in a corner." Riley comes up to the group holding a picnic blanket and basket. "Lucas' style has changed as well."

"This match between Hilbert and Lucas will be a six on six battle. Both trainers can exchange Pokemon, and the first one to run out of usable Pokemon loses." Cheryl's words reflect within the minds of both trainers as they stare eachother down.

"It's about time we had our battle. I've always wanted to face you, mentor," Hilbert says as he holds up a Net Ball.

"You sound rather confident. Just because I taught you all you know doesn't mean I taught you all I know," Lucas retorts, taking out his own Great Ball. "I prepared my team specifically for this battle; my strategy may just blow your mind."

"Go, Hana!" Hilbert sends out his first Pokemon, the Grass/Bug type Leavanny.

"Let's go, Atlas!" Lucas retaliates by choosing his own bug type, the fighting Heracross.

"Eh? Heracross?" Elesa murmurs. "Why would he choose a bug type against another bug type?"

"Because Leavanny is also a grass type," says Cynthia.

"Heracross, huh? Hana, Leaf Storm!" Hana releases a flurry of leaves at the beetle.

"Charge through and use Megahorn!" Atlas charges into the hail of leaves, using his arms to knock away any that come his way; his horn provides extra protection as well.

"Hana, stop and strike with Leaf Blade!" Hana halts and takes a step forward, before swiping with her blade arms.

"Brick Break!" Atlas' arms glow brightly as he flies into battle, entering man-to-man combat with the opponent. Hana gets in close and slashes at Atlas' midsection.

"Once more, Leaf Blade!"

"Counter!" Atlas summons a brown aura that repels the Leaf Blade.

"String Shot!" While flying backwards Hana shoots sticky string that captures the beetle's wings.

"Megahorn!" Atlas gives a super horn attack at Hana, striking her midsection.

"Return, Hana!" Black retrieves his Pokemon. Holding out another ball he tosses it, summoning the dinosaur Kinsaurus. "Dragon Claw!"

Kinsaurus charges in at the beetle. 'Wait for it. The moment he reaches I'll use Counter.'

"Dragon Pulse!" Stopping at the last second, Kinsaurus releases a ball of dragonic aura that blasts Atlas and sends him crashing along the ground.

'Damn! I didn't see that coming!' "Atlas, return!" Lucas retrieves his Pokemon quickly. "Let's see you try this; Wani!"

He sends out Feraligatr. The gator roars upon exiting his ball. "Kinsaurus, Slash!"

"Ice Fang!" Wani dodges at the last second and grabs hold of the dinosaur's right ax tusk with his teeth, which begins to freeze over. Wani then tosses the dino in the air. "Aqua Tail!"

"Bulldoze!" Kinsaurus lands on top of Wani, flattening the ground in the process. Wani lifts the dino off and tosses her away.

"Hydro Pump!"

"Dragon Pulse!" Kin releases her attack, which stops the water pump attack. "Now, use Dragon Claw!"

"Grab hold of them!" Wani grabs the ax tusks with his bare claws, and using herculean strength lifts her up in the air.

"Dragon Pulse!" From in the air Kin fires, hitting at his face. Wani falls to the ground, fainting.

"Feraligatr is unable to battle; Haxorus wins!" Kin lands on her feet and howls triumphantly. Lucas retrieves his Pokemon.

"Didn't see that coming. Oh well. Go, Torterra!" Lucas, to everyone's surprise, sends out Torterra the Continent Pokemon.

"Huh? I didn't know he had a Torterra..." Riley says in surprise.

"It's mine; we traded before the battle," Cheryl says to herself before starting the battle.

"Kinsaurus, Dragon Claw!" Kinsaurus charges.

"Energy Ball!" Torterra fires at Kinsaurus.

"Dragon Pulse and continue!" Kin fires back, and the attacks cancel eachother out. She then slashes at Torterra, who braces for the attack with her shell.

"Giga Drain!" Torterra wraps vines around Kinsaurus, draining her energy for his own. "Now, Stone Edge!"

Torterra tosses Kinsaurus away before firing a series of sharp rocks. This attack slices up most of the dinosaur's body; she faints as a result. "Haxorus is unable to battle; Torterra wins!"

Black retrieves his Pokemon. That's when Elesa says, "Don't mind, Hilbert! You're both tied!"

"Thanks." Black's next Pokemon is Date.

"Date huh...Torterra, Energy Ball!"

"Razor Shell!" Date counters the giant tortoise's attack with his own, before charging in through the mist of the explosion. "Strike with Megahorn!"

Torterra awaits his strike. 'Gotcha!' "Ice Beam!"

Date fires a beam of frozen energy at the turtle, freezing it solid. Lucas' jaw drops in shock. 'EH?'

"It's still not perfect, but Ice Beam worked perfectly!" Black cheers happily as Lucas retrieves his Pokemon.

"I was caught off guard with that, but not again. Go, Lucas!" His next Pokemon is the aura using Lucario.

"Return!" Black retrieves his Pokemon and sends out Archer. "Acrobatics!"

"Dodge and use Ice Punch!" Lucario uses his aura detecting powers to easily avoid the bird's strikes, before coming in close with a frozen right hook. Archer is sent flying in the air before recovering.

"Dragonbreath!" Archer breathes harshly at Lucario.

"Aura Sphere!" Lucario shoots his signature attack, which travels through the attack and blasts Archer. Defeatist takes hold, and Archer lands on his feet.

"Damn it...Ancient Power!" Lucario easily avoids the rocks before coming up to the bird.

"Ice Punch!" This last attack finishes off Archer.

"Archeops is unable to battle; Lucario wins!" Lucas grins at his success.

Black retrieves his Pokemon and prepares for the next move. "I choose you, Raika!"

Zebstrika appears on the field. "Aura Sphere!"

"Use Nitro Charge!" Raika covers herself in flames and takes off, avoiding the sphere of energy. She then comes up towards Lucario, who barely manages to dodge. "Thunderbolt!"

Electricity releases from the zebra just as Lucario leaps away from her, and takes the full hit. He rolls back onto his feet though. "Lucas, Extreme Speed!"

Lucario rushes around Raika at high speed, so fast she can't keep up. "Raika, don't try to keep up with him. Use Nitro Charge to escape!"

"I won't let you!" Lucario comes in and attacks Raika just after she uses Nitro Charge, which gives collateral damage to him.

"Once more!" Raika uses Nitro Charge at Lucario again.

"Counter!" Lucario reflects the damage he takes back at Raika, knocking her off all four feet. "Aura Sphere!"

"Thunderbolt!" Using 100,000 volts Raika manages to block the attack. "Nitro Charge!"

Raika charges at a faster pace than usual at Lucario. "Use Counter again!"

"Thunderbolt!" Mid run, Raika uses electricity to shock the jackal, taking him by surprise. "Finish him off with Nitro Charge!"

"Jump and use Aura Sphere!" Lucario tries to jump at the last second, but his left leg gives out. So instead Lucario uses a small Aura Sphere point blank.

This decision envelops them in an explosion, that knocks them both out for the count. "Both Pokemon are unable to battle."

Both trainers return their Pokemon inside their balls. 'Okay, what to do next...'

"Let's go, Plue!" Lucas sends out Typhlosion.

"Sir Crocodile!" Black chooses Krookodile.

"Commence!"

Both pokemon attack by grappling the other. "Sir C, use Brick Break!"

"Flamethrower!" Plue releases flames in the crocodile's face, forcing him away before he could use his attack. "Earthquake!"

Plue pounds the sandy ground, but finds himself in a bit of a pickle when both he and Lucas realize they're on a sandy battlefield. The soft sand absorbs the attack, and cancels it out. 'Crap!'

"Plue, return!" Lucas retrieves his Pokemon. "Let's try this then. Go, Atlas!"

His next Pokemon Heracross returns to battle. "I was prepared for this. Sandstorm!"

Krookodile summons a blizzard of sand to cover the arena. With the extra sand from the field adding to it, Cheryl, Cynthia and Elesa shield their eyes. Lucas uses his hat to block some of the sand, Riley uses his powers to see through the sand, and both Hilda and Hilbert use their dragon powers to separate themselves from the storm.

'Sir C can see far distances even in storms. Even at a type disadvantage he can pull through this.' "Sir C, Brick Break!" Sir C sneaks through the sand and strikes Atlas with a karate chop.

'Atlas can't see in this...I know!' "Atlas, prepare to use Counter the next time!" Sir C comes up with a second Brick Break, but that's when Atlas blocks and strikes back. "Megahorn straight ahead!"

"Grab it and toss him away!" Sir C grabs the horn and tosses him in the air, and even though Atlas tries to fly he has a hard time due to the sand pummeling him.

"Fly out of the sandstorm using Aerial Ace!" The beetle takes to the skies, seeking higher ground to get a better view. Soon the sandstorm starts to lift. "Now, use Aerial Ace with Megahorn!"

The beetle descends upon Sir C, who unfortunately takes the attack. The crocodile falls backwards and faints. "Krookodile is unable to battle; Atlas wins!"

"Alright, way to go!" Lucas cheers.

Black retrieves his Pokemon and sends out his next one, Hana. "Hana, String Shot!"

"Pull Leavanny up with the string!" Atlas grabs the string and takes to the skies. "Now, use Aerial Ace!"

Atlas flies down at her. "Don't let him hit you! Leaf Storm!"

Hana releases a huge flurry of leaves, one that knocks Atlas off balance. "Now, use String Shot to pull him close and finish with Leaf Blade!"

Using String Shot Hana pulls herself closer to Atlas, before swiping at his chest. They both land on the soft sand, but only Hana manages to remain standing. "Heracross is unable to battle; Leavanny wins!"

"Good job!" Elesa cheers.

Lucas retrieves his Pokemon and sends out a new one, Gabriel. Black's eyes turn stern as he now realizes he's facing Lucas' strongest Pokemon. "Hana, Leaf Storm!"

Hana releases a flurry of leaves at the dragon, who blocks using his fins. "Flamethrower!"

Gabriel releases a stream of flames at Hana, burning through the leaves easily. "Lightscreen!"

Hana forms a barrier that protects her from the attack. "Dragon Claw!"

"Leaf Blade!" The two pokemon battle it out using bladed weaponry.

"Flamethrower once more!" Gabriel opens his mouth to fire.

"String Shot!" Hana counters by using sticky silk to cover, close and conceal his mouth. "Now, Leaf Blade!"

Hana slashes several times at Gabriel now. "Outrage!"

A red aura appears around the dragon, who breaks free of his webbing easily and begins thrashing Hana apart. The brutal beatdown ends when Gabriel smacks her to the sand with his tail.

"Leavanny is unable to battle, of course; Garchomp wins," Cheryl says, still uneased at seeing Gabriel fighting so viciously. 'Garchomp can't control Outrage. Why would he use it?'

Gabriel chomps down on a berry in his possession. Riley then says, "Smart thinking. He knew Outrage would confuse Gabriel so he left a Persim Berry for him to use."

"Only one left. Better make it count. Go, Date!" Black sends out his last Pokemon, the samurai Date.

"Gabriel, Flamethrower!" Gabriel unleashes a stream of flames at Date.

"Charge through and use Razor Shell!" Drawing his swords Date dashes into the flames, the Lightscreen from before protecting him. He then makes a double slash, sending him back a few feet with the first cut. Gabriel takes to the skies to avoid the second.

"Dragon Claw!" Gabriel flies down at Date, who holds his swords up to prepare for battle.

"Use Hydro Cannon on the sand!" Date uses Hydro Cannon to produce a mud screen to hide in. This takes Gabriel by surprise, who ends up getting caught in the mud. "Ice Beam!"

"Flamethrower!" The two attacks collide, producing a field of ice and a field of fire. 'Can't risk Outrage again...' "Dragon Claw!"

"Razor Shell!" Date uses his blades to knock the claw attack aside. "Megahorn!"

He then jabs his horn at the dragon's face, leaving a scar in his smooth scale skin. "Outrage!"

"Ice Beam!" Date fires ice at Gabriel, but it only deters him a little. Gabriel pounds Date into the ground, but faints before making a second strike.

"Garchomp is unable to battle; Samurott wins." With Cheryl's statement, Lucas makes a sigh and retrieves his Pokemon.

'He really has become smarter. It's like he's adapted a new strategy just for this fight!' "Let's finish this, shall we?" Lucas says to the black protagonist.

"You said it," Hilbert replies to the diamond protagonist.

Lucas sends out his final Pokemon, Plue. Plue ignites his back and stares down the otter. Date makes a howl, one that leaves Plue undeterred. "Thunder Punch!"

Electricity sparks through the wolverine's fists, who immediately charges at the samurai. "Razor Shell!"

Using one sword this time, Date manages to divert the first two blows and come in for a slash. Plue ducks underneath to avoid it. "Plue, Flamethrower!"

"Ice Beam!" The attacks lead to the same results. This time though Plue comes in closer and uses Thunderpunch on Date's left ribcage.

The otter falls backwards in pain. "One more Thunderpunch!"

"Megahorn!" Date jabs Plue in the face just as he comes in close. "Razor Shell!"

The earlier attack leaves him wide open for a slash, one that leaves Plue to flip back on his feet. Both Pokemon stare at the other, tired and in pain from their constant assaults. That's when they become enveloped in a bright glow; red for Plue and blue for Date.

"Blaze is activating," Lucas says.

"Torrent is here," Black mutters.

'It all ends in these last moves!' These are their thoughts as they prepare to end the fight.

"Eruption!" Plue's back flames explode, releasing a tower of lava above. Magma rocks fall to the battlefield like meteors.

"Charge in and use Razor Shell to defend!" Date runs through the hailstorm of meteors, using his swords to cut apart any that might hit him.

"Thunderpunch!" Plue rushes towards Date, ceasing the eruption assaults.

"Throw the Scalsword!" Date throws one of his swords at Plue, who knocks it back with a Thunderpunch. "Now ski on it towards Plue!"

"Eh?" Date hops on the sword and skis on it along the ice created by his Ice Beam towards the wolverine.

"Thunderpunch!"

"Razor Shell!"

The two attacks collide as they pass eachother by. Date rolls onto burning sand and grabs his other sword while Plue uses his claws to slow his skating halt. Standing up the two Pokemon turn to face eachother. Lucas begins to sweat while Hilbert grits his teeth. Finally, both Pokemon fall to one knee, but only Plue collapses fully to the ground. Date plops on his back, tired from the constant battles he's been through.

"Typhlosion is unable to battle; Samurott wins. The winner of this Pokemon battle is Hilbert Hakumei!" Cheryl says, appointing victory to the black protagonist. Lucas gives out a sigh while Black throws his arms up and cheers.

"We did it!" he shouts, running up to Samurott and hugging him.

Lucas approaches his Pokemon, who finally recovers, and pats him on the back. "You did your best. Thanks for working harder."

Both trainers retrieve their Pokemon, before approaching one another. "That was a great battle. I don't think I've lost one in a while."

"Maybe because I was one of your first in a while," Hilbert replies in a snarky tone.

"Now, now, no gloating," Elesa says before pulling his ear. He winces in pain.

"I didn't think you would be a snarky person," Hilda speaks.

"He's right though; your last battle before Ghe-father was Red, and you lost," Cheryl adds, poking Lucas while he's down.

"Still, you both did great." Riley and Cynthia come towards the trainers now. "Are you ready to leave?"

"Soon as I heal up my team." And so, with victory under Hilbert's belt they head for the Pokemon center and heal up their team.

Afterwards the group head for the airport, once Riley and Cynthia pack up their stuff. Lucas and Cheryl join them, just about ready to board. Cynthia says, "We've still got time; you can say goodbye to your friends."

"Thank you..." Lucas says before turning to his friends.

"So, this is goodbye for now," Hilbert says to him, giving a weak smile.

Lucas turns to Hilda, saying, "Thanks for helping me when I was angry at N and Plasma. You were right all along. He's a good person."

"Told ya."

"But I can't help but feel you're infatuated with him." His words bring Hilda to blush.

"D-Don't be stupid!"

"Well, at least you're not attached to me." Lucas smiles when he makes this statement.

'Thank god for that,' thinks Cheryl with a sigh as she realizes the complications of another woman. Despite being okay with Lucas' condition and accepting any girl attracted to him, she finds Hilda a bit too violent for him.

"Elesa, look after Black while I'm gone. I don't want him slacking a bit before we battle again," says the diamond protagonist to the shining beauty.

"Of course. I have no intention of losing sight of him." Elesa hugs Black's arm. "Neither me, nor...Skyla."

"I don't know how you can be so cool with being married to someone and sharing him with another," Cheryl speaks while interlocking her fingers with Lucas'.

"From what I hear you'll be doing just that soon," Elesa remarks, smiling at the poor green haired woman. "Sometimes, in order to keep your happiness you have to open your heart to accept things you normally wouldn't."

"I understand that...You must be really good friends with this Skyla person," Cheryl says before turning to Lucas. "I am on good terms with Jasmine too."

Lucas' eyes stop at Hilbert now. "Hilbert, thanks. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to meet up with Cheryl again, and we both would have been stuck as tools for dragons. I can't help but say, I'm glad I met you."

"I'm glad I met you too. Thanks to you, I gained the strength to save the world, and I met Elesa." Hilbert and Lucas give eachother a brief hug, before pulling away quickly. "Let's battle again."

"Sure. Next time things will be different!" Lucas nods and turns to Cheryl. "Let's get going."

"Okay. Bye everyone!"

"Bye!" With that, Lucas and Cheryl join Riley and Cynthia onboard the plane. After a while the plane takes off, soaring into the skies towards Sinnoh.

On board the plane Cynthia and Riley soon get jet-lagged and fall asleep, leaving Lucas and Cheryl awake and by themselves. Cheryl places her hand on his lap, before sliding it down to his private area. "Lucas, we're on board a plane."

"...And?" Cheryl groans at his sudden obliviousness. He then opens his mouth in realization and whispers, "Oh, you want to have sex in the bathroom?"

"Really? I was suggesting a makeout and then maybe we go from there, but if you wanna jump straight into it, lets!" Cheryl rises up and heads for the bathroom, only to bump into a stewardess who overheard them. "...Damn."

Back in Unova Hilbert and the girls head for Mistralton City. Upon landing Hilbert and Elesa begin their search for Skyla, while Hilda heads for the Celestial Tower. The white protagonist approaches the tower, flying to the top transformed as a dragon. She reverts back, shocked to find someone standing in the blowing wind.

"Y-You..." White gasps when she sees someone before her. The man turns around, revealing himself to be Natural. "Natural!"

"White, no, Hilda...It's actually good timing you came by," he says to her, raising his hand to remove the crown. "I've been played a fool by Ghetsis, stripped of everything I've sought out, and lost my path...That's why I have to talk to you about something, because I can't bring myself to speak to your brother."

"What are you talking about? Hilbert and I are both okay with what you've done," replies the white clothed woman. "You didn't do those things to bring suffering. You wanted to help Pokemon."

Natural pauses for a moment. "Back when I first met Hilbert in Accumula Town, there was something I heard from his Pokemon Date that shocked me...he said he liked him, and that he wanted to be with him."

"Date...said that?" White finds herself smiling a bit, glad that Black was able to grasp the heart of his Pokemon so early on.

"I've been raised all my life to believe that humans could only mistreat Pokemon, so when I heard that..." Natural looks to the right. "I just couldn't believe Pokemon could like humans, because up until that moment, I'd never known a Pokemon like that. The longer my journey continued, the more unsure I became; all I kept meeting were Pokemon and people who communicated with one another and helped one another. That was why I needed to confirm my beliefs by battling you and your brother. I wanted to confront him, one hero to another; I needed that more than anything."

"But Natural, everyone will understand if you could just explain-"

"It's pointless," he says to her, turning back to face her. "Ghetsis was right. There's no way someone like, someone who only understands Pokemon...no, in the end I didn't understand them either. There's no way I could measure up to you, your brother, or your friend, not when you all had met so many Pokemon and were surrounded by friends...

"Even though the Champion and you guys have forgiven me, no one else in the world will...What I should do now, I don't know..." Hilda approaches Natural and hugs him.

"Then I'll help you. I'll be with you and help you through this..." she says, a small blush on her face as she looks up into his eyes. She pats from him and smiles.

"...Thanks." Natural takes her hand, causing her to blush more. "To be honest though, I had plans on leaving."

"We can do that!" Hilda transforms, turning into the blue eyes white dragon Reshiram. "Our power is actually more convenient than a nuisance."

"Thank you...You said you had a dream, right?"

"Uh huh!"

"Then make it happen! Make your dream a reality, and that will become your truth!" Natural leaps on top of Hilda's back.

"Don't do that!"

"Sorry!" Reshiram/Hilda takes flight, the fire turbine engine allowing her to jet away at high velocity.

"Oh crap! I forgot to tell Hilbert I'm leaving!"

Back With Black...

Black and Elesa continue to roam the airport, searching for the Sky-High girl Skyla. After 10 minutes of searching Black gives out a heavy sigh. "This may take a while. I'm going to get something to eat."

"Yeah, I'll come too. Maybe I should call her." Elesa joins him as they head for the nearest pizza store. There they find Skyla sitting outside enjoying a chocolate lava cake.

"Mm! It's like a massage for your tongue!" she comments, enjoying the delicious melted chocolate inside. She lifts her eyes to Black and Elesa when she hears her name called out, and smiles seeing them. "Ah, what brings you guys here?"

"Well...it's like this..." Elesa takes in a deep breath, finding this to be the hardest thing she's ever done. "Black has something to say."

"Eh?" Black turns to the shining beauty in shock. Skyla's eyes fall onto him, and he notes a small shade of red on her face. Black finds himself turning red too. 'She's right; this is hard!' "Well...Skyla, I want you to stay married to me."

"E-Eh?" Skyla's redness becomes a darker shade. She then gives out a smile and drops her lava cake. "REALLY?"

"Black and I talked about it, and he convinced me to give it a shot..." Elesa finally makes out, blushing out of embarrassment. Never in her life would she imagine being in this situation; it's almost something out of a comic book, or a fanfic.

"She wants it clear that as long as no one hogs any attention away from the other. Is that-" Black fails to finish at that moment because Skyla leaps out and hugs him. He manages to stay standing.

Skyla looks into his eyes. "Thank you, for noticing my feelings."

"Well, I had a little help..." he whispers to himself, and Zekrom snorts in the back of his head. 'Be more grateful to me.'

"Thank you for being so understanding, Elesa!" Skyla says to her friend before hugging her too.

"I still cannot believe I'm doing this..."

"Oh, just go with it. I should take responsibility for what happened, even though I still can't remember it," retorts the black protagonist.

"Of course." Skyla releases Elesa and heads for Black, before giving him a long, passionate kiss. While shocked at first, Black manages to return the kiss. Elesa's twitch a bit, but she manages to keep her rising anger under control.

After she throws in a slip of tongue, Black and Skyla part from eachother, and the electric supermodel's eyes go wide when she notes how happy Skyla's face is. This brings her to smile. 'I guess it's not so bad. Black really can make a girl happy.'

"So, where are we off to now?" Skyla asks, interlocking her fingers with Black's.

"Who knows..." Elesa takes Black's other hand and repeat's Skyla's action. "Let's ask our husband...Hilbert?"

"Well, I still would like to eat something." Hearing this Skyla takes Hilbert into the store, pulling Elesa along with her. While the girls order, Black receives a message on the Xtransceiver.

"Hilbert, I won't be around for a while. I've left Unova to travel the world. Also N's gonna be with me. See ya soon!" This is the message he reads, which shocks Black when he finishes.

'Eh? ...Well, I guess she can look after herself. She is more confident than me...' Hilbert calms down when he realizes she's much less of a worrywart than he is.

Without warning a bunch of pictures go off. Elesa looks in the corner of her eyes and sighs when she sees that it's the paparazzi. 'Not again...'

"Is that your boyfriend?"

"Are you planning on keeping his identity a secret even now?"

"I just want an autograph!"

Elesa uses her index and thumb on the right hand to pinch her temples. It's not that she hates the gaudy life of being a supermodel, but it's times like this that she wants nothing more than to be alone with her friend and Hilbert. At her limit, she shouts, "For the last time I-"

"-am Hilbert Hakumei, and we're in a relationship!" Hilbert says, interrupting her and introducing himself at the same time. He places a hand around her and says, "And you know, I would like it if you guys would leave her in peace. We're trying to enjoy lunch."

And with that, the photographers begin taking pictures of them. Elesa turns to Hilbert with her eyes half narrowed, saying, "Hilbert..."

"It's okay, like your saying goes; open your heart a little." He smiles at her, and for the moment the starlet manages to ignore the nuisances before her. Skyla places her arm around Hilbert in the same vein as his arm around Elesa, and enjoys the company. As the pictures are snapped, Hilbert keeps the two girls together, and they adore the attention he's giving.

In Sinnoh...

The plane lands in Sunyshore City. After departing Lucas and the group exit and he and Cheryl immediately hit the city, leaving behind the married couple.

Cynthia sighs. "Lucas seems a bit different lately."

"Yeah, I noticed that too; looks like he's been adding on pounds."

With Lucas and Cheryl they go straight for the beach near the lighthouse. The diamond protagonist runs out to sea. "YAHOO! I'M BACK! I'M BACK!"

Cheryl laughs a bit at his antic. "It's good to be back."

"Lucas? Cheryl?" Cheryl turns around to see the steel clad defense girl coming up to them. Her hair has grown an extra inch, she still wears a lite blue dress and there are clips in her hair that looks like magnets: the right red and the left blue. She wears a silver bow on the helm of her dress and has sandals on. Jasmine falls to tears seeing them. "It really is you guys!"

"Jasmine!" Cheryl runs up to Jasmine with a smile. Lucas returns to shore seeing them together.

"Hey, Jasmine!" Lucas runs up to them. "Haven't seen you in like forever!" 'Although it was 3 years...'

"Lucas, I'm glad you're okay." Jasmine leans forward and hugs him. "All of a sudden, a while ago I remembered you... I don't know how I forgot, but I did and I feel terrible for forgetting someone I still love."

"...It's okay...You don't have to apologize...It's not your fault," he says, hugging Jasmine back. His eyes lift up and turn to Cheryl, who nods in an approving matter. "Jasmine, do you remember that offer Cheryl gave you years ago?"

"Yes...and to be honest, I want to retract my statement. I want to be with you." Jasmine's words bring an uplifting feeling in Lucas' heart, who still holds a general amount of warmth for her. "Is that still okay?"

"Of course..." Lucas replies in unison with Cheryl. Jasmine takes this moment to place a quick kiss upon his lips, her tears of happiness starting to come back.

The Next Day...

Riley and Lucas walk along the backyard grass of the villa the former and Cynthia got from the latter. After positioning themselves four feet away from eachother, Riley says, "Okay, today we shall begin your training in becoming a true Aura Guardian."

"Okay, but question first."

"Shoot."

"I'm just a little curious; how many aura guardians are there out there?" he asks his sempai.

Riley chuckles a bit. "Lucas, I plan to answer your question with another question...How well can you sense this?" Riley bends down to hold onto a rose he planted in the garden. Lucas tries his best to sense it perfectly, sweat billowing down his face as he does. 'So, his talent really does lie in Pokemon training...'

"I don't get it; why am I trying to sense a flower?"

"Lucas, the reason it's so hard for you to sense this aura connects to your question; all life forms in the universe have aura inside of them, whether they're human or not. What separates us from other humans and Pokemon is that our aura levels are high enough to allow us to increase our reserves and control it. And that there is the key word; control.

"Take yourself for example; when you were younger your aura was dormant inside of you. You would meet a girl, through the slightest emotion would unleash a piece of your aura, and that aura would latch itself onto any female nearby that showed even a small amount of attraction. That girl would be attracted to you, and you wouldn't even realize why or how. But that's all; you wouldn't be able to use your aura otherwise.

"It wasn't until I injected my own inside of you that you gained a true grasp of aura. Your aura magnetism became more frequent, and you could now be trained to fully utilize your powers. That's how most aura guardians start out, but the strangest thing for you is that you held some powers even before your potential was realized. That brings me to my point.

"The term aura guardian is used for aura users who have been trained to use and control their powers. Just having these powers isn't enough to be classified, which is why we guardians seek out other users. Not only do we need to keep our kind going, but we want to make sure no one causes any calamity these powers can bring.

"I'm sure you know the consequences your powers would have had you continue going through life struggling with your powers..." Riley stands up finally, holding the rose in his hand. "Blood is spilled in human relationships for two and only two reasons: money and sex."

"Eh?" Lucas takes a minute to think, and begins to blush with naughty thoughts in his head when he imagines the 'sex' implications. The thoughts of Cheryl, Jasmine and the other girls he knows approaching him for said advances grabs his attention. "S-sex..."

Riley shrugs, having expected his reaction to be that. "Exactly. I'm just glad you have no intention of abusing your power, unlike him..."

"Huh?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, there's a way to controlling aura magnetism, and this will be the first thing we will go over for the next few weeks before you return to your champion position." Riley tosses the rose over to him. Lucas catches it, and winces when he pricks himself. "Aura can leak out on its own during 3 situations: when one has little control over it and begins to utilize it, only for pieces of it to leak out, when one is feeling emotional and it leaks through them, mostly happiness, sadness and anger, and when one is healing oneself and someone comes into contact with you.

"Should aura latch onto someone of the opposite sex it stays and any form of attraction they may share for you increases to where they will fall for the aspect of you that will make the appropriate partner...or that's the general explanation we've come up with." Riley finishes his explanation and turns to Cynthia inside the home, trying to fix lunch for them. "I was relieved Cynthia fell for me before my aura attached to her, or I'd have felt extremely guilty in the end."

'I know the feeling.' Lucas scratches his head sheepishly. "I understand. Are we ready for training?"

"Of course; we'll start by teaching you how to withdraw your emotions to control your leakage..." Riley sits before the apprentice in the grass. "Sit."

"Okay." Lucas sits down.

"We'll meditate for a while." Ignoring Lucas' incoming complaining groan Riley begins to meditate. With nothing else to do Lucas does the same. After a while the smell of Cynthia's burnt cooking could be smelt from outside, distracting even the former champion.

"Can we take a break?" Lucas asks, still sniffing in the fumes.

"...Sure. Might as well cook lunch too..." Riley and Lucas sit up to head inside the villa. Before they step in, Riley says, "Lucas, before we go on break, there is something I have to say."

"What is it?" Lucas asks.

"Remember when I said that there are aura users out there who aren't classified as guardians?" Lucas nods. "I also sensed something else, two things actually: one of them was a separate aura signal I've never felt before, and the second is something I've felt in your aura."

"Huh?" Lucas then twitches when he realizes he might mean Kyurem invading his body.

"I won't ask about your condition, as you've probably been through allot, but I'm curious about the aura signal I felt. I'll be busy training you so I won't be able to track the signal, but I'm hoping someone else can handle it..." Riley then heads inside. "Hurry up; she's burning ceramic."

"Eh? Wait up!" Lucas rushes inside.

"Cynthia, you can't cook ceramic so high!" Cheryl shouts.

"It really stinks in here!" Jasmine complains.

Elsewhere in the Pokemon world, a stick from a used ice-cream bar gets tossed into a recycling bin. The hurler is the yellow eyed Lucas with grey hair. He adjusts his hat to cover his hair, and looks to his left to see a couple walking by.

Kyurem sighs and looks up to the skies. He falls backwards, plopping on the grassy field, and stretches his right hand up to the air. An image of Cheryl and Lucas kissing enters his mind before he clenches his hand. It turns black. He gives out a hefty sigh as the wind blows. A newspaper snags onto his arm, and that's when the image of Ghetsis appears. He takes it with his left hand and reads the news, learning that Ghetsis has escaped prison.

Kyurem leans up and grins. His left hand ignites, setting the paper on fire. He then stands up, which shocks some people passing by. The scar on his face begins to turn to ice before he laughs out loud.

Two Years Later...

In the Unova region a pair of Swanna fly above, passing over a city. Outside the boundaries a great wall of ice can be seen, so big it practically stretches over Unova. The birds fly over a trio of friends who are running along the streets to a set of stairs.

The first teenager is a blue spiky haired boy wearing a red and white zipper jacket, jeans and red sneakers. He has fingerless gloves on and an Xtransceiver on his left arm. Beside him on the left is a girl around the same age with brown hair done up to look like wheels attached to threads, a white shirt with lite blue sleeves that has a red pokeball in the center, flapping yellow shorts that almost look like a skirt, black pantyhoses and white shoes. She wears a cap hat that covers her cerulean blue eyes and has an Xtransceiver as well on the left arm. The third teenager on the right is a male with a blue jacket over a black and green undershirt, black leg warmers under grey shorts, and a red cap similar to the girl's. He has brown eyes that match his hair and an Xtransceiver just like the others.

"We're almost there guys!" says the girl as they near the steps.

"Yosh! Once we get there you'll finally be able to receive your Pokemon!" The blue haired teen states.

The brown haired male smiles with confidence before picking up speed. "Ah!" As he runs his eyes give off a blue glow that disappears as quickly as it arrives.

And so, another Pokemon journey begins for these new young trainers to be. Lucas' trials and Hilbert's journey may have ended, but that doesn't mean the world stops. Not to mention they still have things to do before they can successfully move on from their supposed troubles. What does two years in the future for our diamond protagonist and black protagonist have to do with these new three?

* * *

Julia: And thus we have finally reached the end.

Yusei: Yeah, we couldn't fit in a battle with Alder, but this works.

Kenshin: Why did it take so long though?

Manabu: We needed to get more information on Black 2 before we could end, like what happened to Ghetsis and such. But now that that's cleared we know what to do in the final adventure.

Kenshin: Also, for those who wish to discover what happens to Lucas and Hilbert during the 2 year skip we're creating a oneshot storybook that's to be filled with Pokemon stories, most of them about the Adventures series.

Manabu: Thanks for your support everyone, and we hope to go out with a bang in The Gray Adventure Part 2!


End file.
